EDMONTON—Dylan Garand or Brett Brochu? Or for that matter, Sebastian Cossa?
At this point, there is no clear No. 1 goalie for Canada’s entry at the world junior hockey championship. But there is a plan to find one.
It’s called playing the games, and seeing what happens.
“We’re going to use our depth, like every other situation,” head coach Dave Cameron said Monday. “We’re happy (with Garand) after the first game, but we have some depth, we’re going to put them in, and then we’ll go from there.”
Garand — a holdover from last year’s silver medal team — got the start in Game 1, allowing three goals on 17 shots in Canada’s 6-3 win over the Czech Republic.
Brochu will start the second game Tuesday against a notably weaker opponent, Austria, who lost 7-1 to Finland on Monday and will be hard-pressed to even get a lead in the tournament.
“I was definitely really excited to get the news, so I’m looking forward to it,” said Brochu. “I’m definitely really pumped to finally get a start.”
Cossa was scratched for the first game, and if he’s scratched for the second, you can probably rule out the product of the Edmonton Oil Kings, who at one point was thought to be the favourite to start for Canada.
But Cameron plays his cards very close to his chest when it comes to his goaltending, and seems to enjoy talking about who’s going to start as much as any other coach who has a tandem. That is, not at all.
Canada’s approach to its goaltending was a little different than in years past. Canada invited only three goalies to selection camp, not four, meaning all three had known from the outset they had made the team. There’d be no competition for a roster spot, just a competition for starts.
“I think it simplifies the process,” says Cameron. “Those three separated themselves from the pack and it didn’t make a lot of sense to bring in somebody just because you’re filling a quota. And the goaltending position obviously is a unique position, and (so we wanted) to get the three of them in and for them to get comfortable and then for us to decide the pecking order through those three moving forward. It’s a real good idea.”
The preference is for a No. 1 to emerge, like Devon Levi last year, Joel Hoffer in 2020, Michael DiPietro in 2019 or Carter Hart in 2018.
This year, because of COVID, Canada only had one exhibition game. Until then, none of the goalies had played meaningful hockey in weeks. So Cameron didn’t have a lot to go on but scouting profiles and a feel from practices.
Garand was the backup to Levi at last year’s tournament. Levi, a Florida Panthers pick in his first season at Northeastern University, played every game for Canada last year. Garand got into 20 minutes of a 16-2 blowout over a COVID-ravaged Germany.
Levi ran the table, posting three shutouts and allowing only five goals in nearly 400 minutes of hockey.
“He’s been super supportive,” Garand said of Levi. “He’s been sending a couple texts, he says keep going, good game, stuff like that. He’s been watching back home, so I know he’s there for me. He knows that I know what works in my game best. It’s nice to have his support and have him cheering.”
And Garand has had a big week, signing with the New York Rangers on Christmas Eve.
“It’s definitely another dream come true,” Garand said of his contract. “I’ve been waiting for a little while to finally get one. All my friends are signing. I was kind of waiting, hoping for one and to finally get one is definitely pretty cool and definitely exciting.”
Garand, 6-1, was chosen in the fourth round of the 2020 draft by the Rangers. He was at Rangers camp in September, something he says helped him this year.
“Obviously, the shots are a lot harder,” Garand says. “I saw the speed and seeing what the pro level is like. Reading the play. These are the kind of things I’ve learned, things that I’ve carried to my game through this season, and helped me get better.
“I feel like I’m a much better goalie this year coming into the tournament than last year.”
Brochu has not been drafted, teams scared off by his 5-11 frame. Teams like big goalies. Cossa, for example, is six-foot-seven.
“It was definitely tough seeing two years go by without my name picked,” said Brochu. “I just used that as motivation and stayed focused on the task at hand.”
Brochu managed to get in a pro tryout with the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Penguins last year, when the OHL was shut down, and got an invitation to the Pittsburgh Penguins rookie camp.
London Knights GM Mark Hunter sang Brochu’s praises.
“He’s the backbone of our organization,” said Hunter. “Consistency is very important to any hockey player, even more important to goaltending. And he is very consistent, very focused, very driven to win.
“We’ve got a good team, but he makes us a real good team.”
Like Garand for the opener, Brochu has dreamed of playing for Canada at this tournament.
“I’m really excited,” said Brochu. “Ever since I was a kid, I dreamt of that moment, so I’m really looking forward to it. I’m confident when I’m at my best, so I’m going to bring (it to the game). It’s another game and I’ve played a lot with London this year, so I’m going to bring that same attitude, same mindset to (Tuesday’s) game.”
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