Everyone is a little desperate for hockey to come back, and the World Junior Showcase is giving us a bit of a taste.
Canada, USA, Sweden and Finland are all participating in the event, so it’s really giving people an idea of who you’ll be seeing at this year’s World Junior Championship. With the camp being held in Michigan, Canada and USA brought loads of talent and it’s showing so far.
Matthew Phillips is one of those players and he is expected to contend for a spot on this year’s team and he’s definitely shown he deserves a spot.
Phillips put up 90 points in 70 games last season in the WHL and NHL.com even wrote about him as being the next Johnny Gaudreau.
As a Flames prospect, the people of Calgary will be happy to hear that comparison.
He is similar in stature to Gaudreau, and clearly has some high-level skill, but those are some high expectations to be putting on a player of his age. One things for sure, he’ll definitely has as many doubters as Gaudreau had initially, because he was drafted even later than Johnny Hockey, going in the sixth round.
If he’s able to make this year’s World Junior team, that’s definitely a step in the right direction. As is that ridiculous fake wraparound.
