It’s been nine years since a Prince George Cougar donned the maple leaf at the World Junior Hockey Championships, and it's a first between the pipes.
Taylor Gauthier is now in good company with the likes of Tyler Bouck, Eric Brewer and Dan Hamhuis in representing the franchise, officially being named to Canada’s roster today (Dec. 10) for the 2021 international contest.
All three goaltenders that were chosen received the good news in likely the most exciting and heartwarming way possible as they’re families we set up on Zoom to tell them they made the team.
“It was a really special moment, hearing that one of your dreams had come true from your family that’s been with you right from the start,” Gauthier said at a news conference this afternoon from Red Deer.
“Everything they’ve done to give me this opportunity and all the sacrifices they made.
“Once I got down there, and heard the good news, it was just a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. It’s been a stressful couple of days, but to have that little relief knowing that I made it and the dream has come true to wear the maple leaf on Boxing Day, it was a huge relief [...] but I also know that the work is just getting started. Now the goal is to win a gold medal for Team Canada.”
The 19-year-old is the first Prince George player since Brett Connolly in 2012 to make the country’s Under-20 squad, set to compete in Edmonton from Dec. 25 to Jan. 5.
Canada’s first official game is on Dec. 26 when the defending gold-medalists host Germany.
The new task at hand… earning that ever-so important and prestigious go-to goaltending slot.
Joining Western Hockey League (WHL) rival - err umm - opponent Dylan Garand (Kamloops, and making the case once again that the west produces the best young Canadian crease monkeys) and Devon Levi (Northeastern University in the NCAA), it’s still unclear who Head Coach André Tourigny will pick to backstop the red, white and black this year.
However, Tourigny has spoken highly of Gauthier and has given him lots of playing time between the pipes as the older of the three contenders.
“[Gauthier] has a lot of athleticism. He’s a big goalie, he has a good size [...] They all bring something a little bit different, all of them,” he explained.
“Most of them haven’t even played a full game yet. We have a plan and I think we’ll move forward with our decision once we’re all on the same page. We want to give the guys more minutes as possible.”
Here’s an early save Gauthier made on Connor Zary, who he met frequently against Kamloops in WHL play, to keep it a 1-0 score | #CityOfPGpic.twitter.com/eL0BqRzImw
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) November 22, 2020
Taking away the two-week quarantine, when two unnamed players tested positive for COVID-19, Gauthier has played 120 minutes of intrasquad scrimmages, and has combined for 58 saves on 65 shots, an .892 save-percentage.
Though the numbers in selection camp help the coaches choose who they think deserves the first official tournament game, Gauthier says he’s also comfortable with taking any role moving forward.
“I think the big goal was to make the team and all of us would like to be the number-one goaltender, but only one guy can play in the net at a time,” he said.
“Ultimately, the goal is to win a gold medal and whatever that role is that we’re placed in, we’re going to do the best that we can at it and ensure that we give the team the greatest chance of winning the gold medal at the end of the tournament.”
Big BIG pair of stops by Gauthier early in the 2nd period, denying @Capitals’ draft pick Connor McMichael on a breakaway!pic.twitter.com/a15CbZiSUZ
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) November 23, 2020
A mature point to make from the Calgary product as he also has faced critical situations as a back-up goaltender.
In 2018, Gauthier came in half-way through the first period of the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup gold-medal game after Nolan Maier suffered an injury.
He ended up shutting out Sweden from there on out, stopping 16 shots in Canada’s 6-2 victory.
“I think going into the Hlinka, I didn’t really face adversity before. The game’s never over and going in there and seeing the team battle in front of me and coming out with a gold medal in the end, it proved to me that I’m a good goalie and I can give the team a chance to win and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to give the team a chance at the gold medal.”
Gauthier is the only player on Canada’s 2021 team that’s not been drafted by an NHL club, having been passed over twice in the last two years.
This is despite receiving an invitation to the Boston Bruins’ summer development camp in 2019 and earning a top-two goaltending position with Canada at the World Under-18 Hockey Championships in Sweden the same year.
He also believes Prince George’s geographical location is also a factor as it can be a long trip for scouts and coaches, but now with the World Juniors coming up, it may provide a hypothetical third chance to prove himself as an NHL-ready netminder.
“It’s been tough for teams to really get out to see me,” Gauthier admitted.
“This gives me the opportunity to get some eyes on me, but it’s not really a huge focus for me right now. I do realize that teams will be watching and looking, but you know, I just try to focus on playing my game and help out in any way that I can to be successful at the tournament.”
So, in the 15 days leading up to the opening ceremony of the bubble tournament at Rogers Place, Coach Tourigny has a difficult decision to make.
The one constant for his goaltending core, he believes, is that all three have much more skill than they may be publicly credited.
“We’re really excited about our group and love the performance of those guys with Gauthier, Garand and Levi,” the Ottawa 67’s bench boss remarked.
“There’s still a lot of work ahead of us to get ready for the tournament and the same thing for our goalies. We want to give as much portion for them to be ready, to have shots in practice and in game situations, and all of it and that will be really important for them to focus on our goalies to give them the chance to get going ASAP. We’ll be ready to make a decision on who’s our number one and two and who’s our number three, and we’ll keep up the process.”
This is the fourth time Gauthier has cracked a national roster in his young career, and, should COVID-19 settle down and allow some WHL games in the new year, could be a turning point that will benefit his teammates in Prince George.
No Cougar has ever won a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Juniors.
Dana Tyrell was selected to the 2009 club that accomplished the ‘Drive for Five,’ but never took the ice in the tournament after suffering a knee injury in an exhibition game against Sweden.
Four Prince George alumni have silver medals in Blair Betts and Tyler Bouck (1999), Hamhuis (2002) and Connolly (2011).
