World Juniors Preview: Canada vs. Czechia

Jordan Dumais remembers how he felt when realized he wouldn’t be suiting up for Team Canada on the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. 

“It was hard. I was very disappointed,” remembers Dumais. 

A star ahead with the Halifax Mooseheads, Dumais, then 18, was among the many 28 gamers invited to the National Junior Team choice camp in Moncton, with the chance to play in entrance of acquainted followers in Halifax.

Coming into camp, Dumais was the main scorer within the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with 54 factors in 25 video games, and second solely to Connor Bedard for many factors in the complete Canadian Hockey League (CHL).

“I knew I was a younger guy. I knew my odds of making it were tough, but I thought I played pretty well at the camp,” says Dumais, who had a aim and an help in one of many camp video games towards a workforce of U SPORTS all-stars.

Still, it wasn’t sufficient and Dumais was amongst 5 forwards despatched residence on the camp’s conclusion. 

“I went to the camp and did what I had to do, and it didn’t go my way,” says Dumais.

Fast-forward a yr and issues have very a lot gone the Montreal native’s manner. He was as soon as once more invited to choice camp and as a substitute of being despatched residence, he finds himself sporting the Maple Leaf in Sweden as a member of Canada’s National Junior Team.

“I came in this year with a bit of experience and played my game and it went my way this year,” says Dumais. “As a kid, it’s your dream. Honestly, just wearing the Canada logo every game is unbelievable.” 

Fueling a hearth 

Dumais was tearing it up within the QMJHL effectively earlier than he was launched from Team Canada, however he took it to an entire new stage when he returned to the Mooseheads after camp, and ended up having a historic season.

He put up factors in his first eight video games again, and was held off the scoresheet solely six instances in 40 video games. His run included seven factors (4-3—7) towards Moncton on Feb. 19, and had six (2-4—6) on March 22 towards Charlottetown.

In simply 40 video games after getting back from camp, Dumais recorded 86 factors — he had 31 within the month of March alone — and completed the season with 140 factors (54-86—140), breaking the Mooseheads’ single-season scoring document of 137. 

He took residence a few large postseason honours, successful the Jean Beliveau Trophy as QMJHL main scorer and the Michel Brière Trophy as QMJHL MVP. He was additionally named to the primary all-star workforce in each the QMJHL and CHL.

Mooseheads and Team Canada teammate Jake Furlong says there was a change in Dumais after he got here again from camp. 

“Especially after Christmas, I think he just had a little more motivation and little more grind. He wanted to prove people wrong, but also the people that believe in him right,” says Furlong, who has been teammates with Dumais in Halifax for 4 seasons. “He stayed the same off the ice and didn’t really change his demeanor, but on the ice, he really worked his butt off, and I think that showed in the second half.” 

Furlong additionally believes the very fact the World Juniors passed off in Halifax solely added extra gasoline to the hearth. 

“I think that probably played a factor into it. I mean, being from there and being with the Mooseheads and seeing the fans we get every night, World Juniors was a whole different level, and I am sure he wanted to make Mooseheads fans proud,” he says. 

Dumais admits not making Team Canada solely motivated him to take his recreation to a different stage.

“Obviously, I wasn’t happy about not making it last year, but I did use it as motivation to get back this year.” 

Silencing critics

At simply 5-foot-9, Dumais, a third-round decide (96th total) of the Columbus Blue Jackets on the 2022 NHL Draft, has needed to cope with those that have questioned his measurement and whether or not he might even play at a excessive stage all through his total hockey profession.

“I think I have been [doubted] my whole life. So, at this point, I do play my game and have always had a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I don’t think too much about it, but it is always there.” 

During the offseason, Dumais spent a substantial period of time engaged on enhancing numerous areas of his recreation, whether or not it was changing into a greater skater or spending time within the fitness center.

“I am always trying to work on my game where I can. I am aware of my flaws. I am smaller than the other guys, but I don’t really think too much about it. During the summer, I am always working on those things and trying to improve and get better.” 

Mooseheads head coach Jim Midgley says it was clear from the start of the yr that Dumais wished to make Canada’s National Junior Team, including that the 19-year-old is a particularly aggressive and pushed particular person who needs to win and be the most effective on a regular basis. 

“Every drill we do in practice, he wants to be the best. He wants to win, he wants to be the fastest, he wants to be the best. He has a high battle level, but that is what I think makes Jordan special. He’s not the biggest guy, but for a smaller guy he has a lot of fight in him.”

That arduous work and burning need to be the most effective has paid off for Dumais, who got here to choice camp with 47 factors (16-31—47) in simply 21 video games with the Mooseheads. He sits 5 factors behind QMJHL scoring chief Mathieu Cataford, regardless of having performed 13 video games lower than Cataford and having not performed for the Mooseheads since Dec. 8.

For the following week, the main target stays on Team Canada and the World Juniors, alongside Mooseheads teammates Furlong and Mathis Rousseau. It’s one thing Dumais says he’ll treasure for the remainder of his life.

“It’s a great group of guys here. We have really good atmosphere in the room, you know, at the hotel, wherever we are, so that’s been a lot of fun,” he says. “It’s a dream come true.”