Canadian goaltenders united in quest for gold
Wednesday December 17, 2014
By Josh Sweetland/CHL
While the teammates in front of them jostle and compete for leverage on Head Coach Benoit Groulx’s depth chart, returning goaltender Zachary Fucale and newcomer Eric Comrie know they’ll be on the Canadian National Junior Team for the 2015 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship when the tournament starts on December 26.
With the pressure of competing for a roster spot alleviated, the two goaltenders who led Canada’s Under-18 team to gold together at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament have begun setting their sights on the task that lies ahead.
Both boasting strong resumes, Fucale and Comrie have won the confidence of Groulx and the management team at Hockey Canada. “Goaltending Consultant Fred Brathwaite and Director of Player Personnel Ryan Jankowski have been scouting these goaltenders for over two years now,” said Groulx. “It’s been concluded that these two are the most consistent and competitive goaltenders Canadian junior hockey has to offer. They’ll be members of our team, but they will need to prove themselves just like anyone else.”
Familiar with Fucale from their encounters in the QMJHL, Groulx would know as well as anyone that the veteran Halifax Mooseheads netminder has established himself as a proven winner. Currently the second winningest goaltender in QMJHL history with 126 victories in 187 career games, the Rosemère, QC, native burst onto the scene as a 16 year-old in 2012, leading the Mooseheads to the QMJHL Semi-Finals to be named the QMJHL Defensive Rookie of the Year. A year later, the sophomore Fucale won QMJHL and MasterCard Memorial Cup Championships and was named a QMJHL First Team All-Star. That summer, Fucale was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft.
As for Comrie, the Edmonton born, California raised netminder has made a name for himself as one of the Western Hockey League’s most consistent competitors. The 19 year-old has faced a heavy workload in his time with the southern Washington based Tri-City Americans, posting a league-leading .925 save percentage last season while facing 2000 shots over 60 games. The Winnipeg Jets second round draft pick was a WHL Western Conference Second Team All-Star last season.
Both second round NHL draft picks and recognized as leaders in their respective leagues, the two competitive goaltenders are both pursuing the same goal. “Me and Eric, we have a lot in common,” Fucale told Gregory Strong of the Canadian Press. “One of those things is we’re team players and we just want to help the team every time we get out there. It’s good that we’re on the same page and we have the same goal in mind. I think that’s very good for the team. Coms is a competitor and so am I.”
Comrie was equally goal-oriented in his comments. “I’m not looking at it as a competition,” Comrie told Strong. “I’m looking at it as we’re a team here. We’re building towards one single goal. We’re not fighting against each other to reach a gold medal. We’re fighting with each other to reach a gold medal.”
Canada’s Pre-Competition Camp is underway in St. Catharines, ON, this week as team practices are being held from Monday-Thursday. The roster sits at 25 players after five cuts were announced on Sunday, a figure that will need to be reduced to 22 by December 25.
While the eyes of the nation will be upon them as Canada searches for its first gold since 2009, Comrie spoke for the two of them and painted a clear picture of just how poised both young men are heading into the tournament. “I think it’s what we take on as a goalie. We want the position, we want the pressure.”
Canada opens the 2015 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship against Slovakia on December 26 in Montreal.
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Tickets for the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship are still available in both host cities.
In Montreal, single-game tickets are now on sale for all 12 games at the Bell Centre, including four Team Canada preliminary round games and two-quarter-finals, starting at just $25. In addition, three mini ticket packages, including either four or five games, and all featuring at least one Team Canada game, are on sale starting at $170, plus applicable fees.
In Montreal, 13-game ticket packages include one Team Canada pre-competition game, four Team Canada preliminary round games, six other round robin games, and two quarter-finals.
In Toronto, 19-game packages include one Team Canada pre-competition game, 10 preliminary round games, two quarter-finals, two relegation round games, two semifinals, the bronze medal game and gold medal game.
Complete ticket information for the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, and all 10 RBC Road to the World Juniors pre-tournament games, can be found at www.hockeycanada.ca/2015juniors.
For more information on Hockey Canada, Canada’s National Junior Team and the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca,www.hockeycanada.ca/2015juniors, or follow on social media at www.facebook.com/worldjuniors, www.twitter.com/hc_wjc and www.twitter.com/hc_men.