Saturday, December 24, 2022

Notebook: Despont named to Swiss roster

Hockey Canada
Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Vincent Despont has officially been named to Switzerland's roster for the IIHF World Junior Championship in Halifax and Moncton.

The Swiss announced their final cuts on Saturday. Despont is one of eight defensemen to make the squad.

There are a number of QMJHL players representing Switzerland, including Halifax's Attilio Biasca and Moncton's Miles Muller and Jonas Taibel.
The 19-year-old Despont recorded one assist in five games at the 2022 tournament in Edmonton.

The Swiss lost their pre-tournament opener 6-0 to Canada on Monday but rebounded with a 4-2 win over Czechia and a 4-3 overtime victory over Sweden. They begin the event on Monday in Moncton, facing Finland at noon.

DESPONT'S FUTURE
Swiss Hockey News is reporting that at least a couple pro teams in Switzerland are interested in adding Despont. It's not quite clear if the report is referring to this season or next.

"Everything in its own time. Right now, there are the World Juniors [to focus on]," Despont told La Liberté, via Swiss Hockey News. "After that, I will talk with my agent. I'm thinking of going back to Switzerland to play professionally. If that does not work out, I have the option of staying in Canada."

Despont, 19, is in his second season with the Sea Dogs, recording three goals and five assists in 27 games.

MOOSE ADD MORE SCORING
The Halifax Mooseheads shouldn't have any trouble scoring when the QMJHL season resumes on Dec. 28.

A few weeks after adding Josh Lawrence, the Mooseheads acquired 20-year-old forward Alexandre Doucet from the Val-d'Or Foreurs in exchange for three drafts picks. Doucet leads the league in goals with 27 and is second in points with 53.

“He’s a game-changer," said Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell in a news release. "We think this trade gives us one of the best players in the league this season and makes our lineup even more dangerous than it already was."

The Mooseheads now have the league's top-two scorers in Doucet (53 points) and Jordan Dumais (61 points) to go along with Lawrence (43 points), Mathieu Cataford (44 points) and others.

NEW POD EPISODE
This week on The Hockey News on the Q, Will MacLaren and I discuss Gillis Courteau's retirement; the world juniors; some QMJHL trades; Columbus Blue Jackets prospects; Jamaica; and lots more.
BOUCTOUCHE CROWD
There was a big crowd at the JK Irving Centre in Bouctouche on Thursday night to watch Germany defeat Latvia 6-3 in world junior pre-tournament play.
NEW CAMPAIGN
Here's the New Brunswick government's new hockey-themed sexual violence prevention campaign, which coincides with the world juniors.


OTHER THINGS
  • The Canadian Press, via CTV Atlantic, has a story on the mixed feelings many fans are having about this year's world juniors.
  • Team Canada wrapped up world junior pre-tournament play on Friday in Halifax, defeating Finland 5-3 in an entertaining contest. Connor Bedard scored a pair of goals for Canada. The Canadians begin tournament play on Monday night against Czechia.
  • The IIHF website looks at some of the many New Brunswick connections the world juniors have had over the years.
  • In Le Soleil, Mikael Lalancette has a behind the scenes look at how general managers make the trade period work in the QMJHL.
  • Dec. 23 is typically a quiet trade day in the QMJHL, but the Cape Breton Eagles swung two deals - one being rather significant. The Eagles traded 16-year-old forward Thomas Desruisseaux and a 2025 first-round pick to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in exchange for 18-year-old forward Jacob Newcombe, a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 first-round pick. The Cape Breton Post reports that Desruisseaux, the 13th overall selection in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft, requested a trade.
  • Teddy Bear Toss season was back in full swing this year. According to a CHL news release, "more than 100,000 items were collected to be later donated to charitable organizations and children’s hospitals" across the CHL. The release adds that "a handful of teams collected more than 10,000 items, including the Edmonton Oil Kings, Everett Silvertips, and Portland Winterhawks, while many others also extended their charitable efforts beyond Teddy Bears to include non-perishable food, cash donations, winter clothing, hats, and outerwear, and personal hygiene products."
  • Happy holidays.
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