Riley Heidt left on a plane to Ottawa this morning and if all goes according to plan he won’t be rejoining his Prince George Cougar teammates for the next month.
The 19-year-old centre is off to Canada’s world junior team training camp. If he makes the team for the IIHF world junior tournament, Dec. 26-Jan.5, it’s quite conceivable he won’t be available to the Cougars for their next 10 games.
And everybody connected with the Cougars organization and fans of the team are OK with that, knowing Heidt has a shot at representing Prince George in the biggest hockey tournament of the year. Watching world juniors is a Christmas tradition and millions of Canadians will be glued to their TVs.
“I’m super-fortunate and blessed that I get this chance to go play on the biggest stage in the world for my age group and I’m just super excited,” said Heidt. “I’m going to go out in the world there for the next week in this camp and just try to do it.
“It’s a quick turnaround and I just have to give it my all for those two or three days and show I deserve to be there and that they made the right decision. I’ll just take it day-by-day and not overthink stuff. I’ll just go there and try to do what I do best, I’ve been trying to shoot a lot more in games and just open up a lot more stuff as well.”
The fact that it will be played in Canada, in front of NHL-sized crowds in the nation’s capital, makes it even sweeter for Heidt, a player many pundits picked to make the world junior team last year.
“To do it in your home territory as a country is something you’re so proud of, it’s nice when the fans are rooting for you,” Heidt said. “It gives you that extra bit of momentum and it’s pressure as well, it’s good. It’s a beautiful city and hopefully we can get ‘er done.”
Heidt, one of the most prolific playmakers in the Cougars’ 31-season Prince George history, is having another great season in his second year as the team captain. With 13 goals and 24 assists in just 22 games he ranks third in team scoring with 37 points.
The Saskatoon native is just getting back to speed after suffering a broken jaw three weeks ago when he took a stick in the face in a game against Vancouver. Despite successive surgeries and having his jaw wired shut, he missed only two games.
Listed at five-foot-11, 177 pounds, Heidt lost 15 pounds while his jaw was immobilized to allow the bone to heal. Everything he ate had to be liquified and ingested with a straw.
“For sure, it’s been hard the last three weeks, I’ve been in and out of surgery two or three times and that’s hard,” said Heidt. “I’m trying my best to stick with my team here and keep pushing every day and getting better and it’s starting to come around.
“I’ve put a little weight back on but it keeps shedding off when you’re playing games. The energy levels are hard but I’ve been trying everything I can to get it back. I’ve only had the wires off for a week now so I’m finally eating some food. I drank out of a straw for 2 ½ weeks and that was pretty hard.”
This is Heidt’s third stint with the national team. In 2022 he helped Canada win gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky U18 tournament and he also wore the maple leaf in the 2023 U18 world championship.
“It’s a great opportunity and it’s an honour for him to go there and get a tryout and make the team,” said Cougars head coach and general manager Mark Lamb. “I totally expect him to make the team and I expect other guys to pick it up while he’s gone.
“He’s earned it, he deserves it. It’s been a tough go for him. He broke his jaw there and he’s dropped 15 pounds. Try to grab your energy after that, that’s a real tough go.”
The Team Canada camp opens on Tuesday and they will take on the U SPORTS all-stars in exhibition games Friday and Saturday.
Canada plays pre-tournament games Dec. 19 against Switzerland, Dec. 21 against Sweden and Dec. 23 against Czechia.
The Canadians will face Finland in their tournament opener on Boxing Day.
