Four Calgary Flames Prospects make cut at 2021 World Junior Championships

Four members of the Calgary Flames will be representing their countries at the 2021 World Junior Championships.

With the World Juniors set to start in Edmonton on Christmas Day, rosters are being finalized for many national teams and, as a result, four Calgary Flames prospects have received the call to represent their respective countries.

Jakob Pelletier and Connor Zary were a part of the 25 man Canadian roster announced on Friday, whereas news of Dustin Wolf and Yan Kuznetsov making Team USA and Team Russia respectively broke Saturday morning.

Pelletier was selected 26th overall by the Calgary Flames in the First Round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The Quebec-native forward has been playing in the QMJHL for the last four seasons, working his way up the leadership ladder. He played three years with the Moncton Wildcats earning 61 points in his rookie season, 89 in the following season and 82 points in his final season with the Wildcats as Captain. In his last two seasons with Moncton, Pelletier has put up 50 assists.

For the 2020-21 season, he joined a new QMJHL team Val-d’Or Foreaurs as Captain once again. So far this season he has played nine games and put up three goals and 10 assists for a total 13 points. He was recognized for his efforts in the 2019-20 season being named to the QMJHL Second All-Star Team and the QMJHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player.

Connor Zary, the other Canadian selection, is also a First Round Draft pick for the Flames. Zary was actually drafted later than certain NHL sources predicted with projection from multiple TSN sources, Future Considerations and NHL Central Scouting ranking him between 12th and 22nd overall. He was selected 24th overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and has spent the last four seasons playing for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL.

Zary made a huge jump as a forward from his first to second season going from a total 29 points to 67 points. He even showed improvement in his third season as Alternate Captain, scoring 38 goals and assisting on 48 for a total of 86 points. In the 2019-20 season, he was named to the WHL’s West First All-Star Team. Due to the delays with COVID-19, however, he has not yet been able to play with the Blazers this season.

Dustin Wolf is going to be tough competition for the Canadians as he lands a spot between the pipes for Team USA. He is pushing for the starting position as he told Calgary media, “If I do get the opportunity, just try to make the most of it and give the team a chance to win. Obviously, winning is super important at this tournament. It doesn’t matter how you get it. So we’ll just battle until the end and hopefully, the results come.”

Wolf was selected a little later in the draft for the Flames, being taken 214th overall in the Seventh Round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He was born in Tustin, California and spent his high school career playing for a Los Angeles area team. Since the 2017 season, Wolf has been playing for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL.

Last season he played 46 games for the Silertips and earned the title of WHL Goaltender of the Year for his exceptional league-leading play. He ended the season with a 1.88 GAA and a .935 Save Percentage. His record before his season was cut short due to the pandemic was 34-10-2. The Silvertips were expecting a playoff run but the season suspension prevented that for the 2019-20 season. Wolf is expected to join the Silvertips again for the 2020-21 season when it is anticipated to begin on January 8, 2021.

The last of the four Flames prospects representing his country at the World Juniors is defenseman Yan Kuznetsov as he was selected by the Russian national team. He is currently in his sophomore season at NCAA’s University of Connecticut, playing in the Big East Conference.

Last year he played 34 games for the Huskies earning 11 points in two goals and nine assists. So far this season, he has only been able to play two games and has one assist on the board. His team played their third game of the season on December 12th but, as he was already at Training Camp for Team Russia, he was unable to join his University team.

With no NHL games yet, the World Juniors will be some of the most exciting televised hockey to watch in the near future. The schedule is already set with Kuznetsov and Wolf battling it out right off the bat on December 25th at 7:30 p.m. (MT), and Zary and Pelletier facing Germany on December 26th at 4:00 p.m. (MT) to open the tournament.