Now that December has begun, we are only weeks away from one of the most exciting hockey tournaments that takes place each year: The World Junior Championship. The Winnipeg Jets prospect pool may have great exposure at the end of this month when the WJC begins.
There may be four Jets prospects competing at this prestigious tournament that takes place in Edmonton and Red Deer from December 26-January 5.
Winnipeg Jets prospects Cole Perfetti, Chaz Lucius, Daniel Torgersson, and Nikita Chibrikov have all been selected to their respective countries’ preliminary rosters for the WJC.
The first stop for Cole Perfetti will be Team Canada’s selection camp that takes place from December 9-13 in Calgary. Canada has invited 35 players to their camp, who will battle for roster spots.
Perfetti will be looking for redemption at the WJC. He was a member of Canada’s team last year that ultimately lost in the Gold Medal game to the United States.
Perfetti did play well at the 2021 tournament finishing with two goals, four assists, and a plus-five plus/minus. He is only one of two players that have been invited to the selection camp that currently plays in the AHL (the other player is Donovan Sebrango).
Winnipeg Jets 2021 first-round draft pick, Chaz Lucius has been named to Team USA’s 31 player preliminary roster. The United States is looking to repeat as champions for the first time in its history.
The eighteen-year-old, Lucius has appeared in ten games this season for the University of Minnesota and has three goals and three assists. Team USA will have their training camp in Michigan starting on December 12 as they will have to dwindle down their roster to 25 players for the tournament.
Daniel Torgersson is looking to make Team Sweden for the first time in his career. He was originally drafted by the Jets as the number forty overall pick in the 2020 draft.
Torgersson started the season with Frölunda HC in the Swedish top division, the SHL, but then the nineteen-year-old was loaned to AIK who compete in HockeyAllsvenskan.
Finally, Nikita Chibrikov has been named to Russia’s preliminary roster. Russia is looking for a better showing in this tournament after finishing fourth in 2021.
Chibrikov was drafted in the second round in last summer’s draft. Last May, he was the captain for the Russian under-18 squad at the u-18 WJC, but unfortunately for him, Russia lost to Canada in the championship.
Winnipeg Jets Fans: Which Winnipeg prospect are you most excited to watch at the 2022 WJC? Leave your comments below!