Taylor Gauthier woke up Thursday to the sound of knocking on his hotel room door.
It was cutdown day for Canada’s world junior team and the 19-year-old Prince George Cougars goalie feared the worst.
“I thought I was getting sent home,” said Gauthier.
He walked into the room where the coaches were gathered beside a projector and he saw his parents, Keith and Susan, on the screen.
“My parents were on Zoom and they told me I made the team,” said Gauthier. “It was a pretty special moment, them being there for me right from the beginning. It’s something Team Canada didn’t have to do but they realized how special a moment it would be for all of us.”
The joy and sorrow that comes with being hockey parents, watching from the stands and on a computer screen, is an emotional ride complicated by the highs and lows a goalie endures as the last line of defence. That realization is not lost on Gauthier.
“I don’t know how they do it, I think most times they’re more nervous than I am for big games and moments,” he said. “Everything they’ve done for me is to get me to this chance and to give me all the opportunities and allowing me to pursue this dream is something I can’t thank them enough for and I will be forever in debt trying to pay them back.”
Making the team is pinnacle of Gauthier’s hockey career so far. He’s been tuned in to the world junior tournament since he was a four-year-old growing up in Calgary. Back then, he watched former Cougar Justin Pogge earn a shutout for Canada in the gold-medal game against Russia in the 2006 tournament in Vancouver.
“That was the first time I really watched, because (Pogge) was the Hitmen goalie,” said Gauthier. “He was the guy who got me started in it.
“It’s pretty cool seeing all the names that have worn the maple leaf for Canada at this tournament and seeing the guys who have come through Prince George to do that. Every time I go to these things I do my best to represent the city and the team. I’m extremely honoured to be a Cougar.”
Goalies Brett Brochu (London Knights) and Tristan Lennox (Saginaw Spirit) were released, leaving Gauthier on the team with friend Dylan Garand (Kamloops Blazers) and Devon Levi (Northeastern University.
“I’ve had quite a few battles with (Garand) over the years and it’s nice to have him on the same side as me, for once,” said Gauthier. “It just goes to show how deep the goaltending is in the B.C. Division with two guys from the same division being named to the team. It’s something that’s pretty cool.”
Levi was invited late to the selection camp and the 19-year-old Florida Panthers pick from Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que., will compete for playing time in the tournament with the two Western Leaguers.
“Just like Dylan, he’s a great guy and I’ve got to know him a bit over the last couple weeks,” said Gauthier. “He’s taken a little bit of a different route than me and Garand have but we’re in the same spot now. There’s three of us and only one guy can play in the games but we’re all just as big a part of the team, whether you’re the starter or the third guy. We’re going to do everything we can to give the team the best chance to win.”
Team Canada moves into the tournament bubble in Edmonton on Sunday and will then spend five days in isolation. The first pre-tournament game for Canada is on Monday, Dec. 21 against Sweden. They play an exhibition against the Russians Dec. 23 and begin their tournament title defence on Boxing Day against Germany.
“The way we did it, with every single guy going into isolation for 14 days, just to nip it in the butt while we still had time to, that’s the best thing we could have done,” said Gauthier. “We have just a couple days to go before we get into the Edmonton bubble and I think once we get there everything will be a little smoother and we’ll have to focus just on playing hockey and that’s it.”
The selection camp in Red Deer started Nov. 17 with 46 players including five goaltenders. Also released on Thursday were defencemen Donovan Sebrango, Lukas Cormier and Ryan O’Rourke; and forwards Seth Jarvis, Mavrik Bourque, Samuel Poulin, Jamieson Rees, Graeme Clarke and Gage Goncalves.
The 25-player roster includes forwards Kirby Dach, Connor Zary, Dylan Holloway, Cole Perfetti, Jakob Pelletier, Alex Newhook, Ryan Suzuki, Connor McMichael, Peyton Krebs, Quinton Byfield, Dawson Mercer, Dylan Cozens, Philip Tomasino, Jack Quinn; and defencemen Braden Schneider, Kaedan Korczak, Bowen Byram, Thomas Harley, Jamie Drysdale, Jordan Spence, Kaiden Guhle, Justin Barron. Gauthier has seen enough of them in practice and intrasquad games to know what they’ll be bringing to the table in the tournament.
“I think this team is going to be unbelievable,” he said. “Any other year the guys who unfortunately didn’t make it would be on the team, but this is such a deep group and the roster we put together this year is second to none.”
Gauthier returned to practice with the team on Monday, after nearly two weeks in solo isolation after two players and staff member tested positive for COVID-19. While several of the other nine teams have had positive tests, he’s confident the 12-day tournament will go ahead as planned and Canadians will have a reason to stay glued to their TV sets over the holiday season.
“With everything that’s gone on this year I think it’s important we give people a chance to support a team and just bring the country together,” said Gauthier. “It’s been a tough year for everyone and if we can bring a bit of joy and happiness to families during this holiday season, that’s something pretty special.
“For most of us it will be the first time playing in a game with no fans but there’s going to be no lack of motivation or jump from us. At the end of the day we’re playing for Team Canada and that’s enough motivation in itself to go out and play the best we can.”
