Team Canada holds final St. Stephen practice

ST. STEPHEN, NB - The Canadian world junior team hit the Garcelon Civic Center ice one last time on Sunday morning.

The team has been holding practices in St. Stephen since Wednesday as they prepare for the World Junior Hockey Championship. Canada plays their first pre-tournament game on Monday night in Moncton when they face Vincent Despont and Team Switzerland.

The team spent quite a bit of time working on special teams Sunday. After practice, the team announced that Seattle Kraken forward Shane Wright will captain the team. Joining Wright on the leadership team are Ethan Del Mastro, Nathan Gaucher, Logan Stankoven and Dylan Guenther.

Practices were open to the public all week. Sunday's had what appeared to be the largest crowd with a couple hundred people or so in attendance.

Some other notes...

• The Globe and Mail (paywall) reported some new details on the alleged 2018 Hockey Canada group sexual assault.
• As Will and I discussed on The Hockey News on the Q this past week, the world junior ticket resale market is pretty wild.
• The Team USA website shares some details on the team's planned travels into Saint John on Sunday. The United States takes on Finland in world junior pre-tournament action on Monday in Quispamsis. That game is sold out.
• The ice at the Avenir Centre is looking world junior ready.
• What a goal from Moncton's Alex Mercier on Friday night.
• Kraken prospect Jacob Melanson had three goals and three assists in the Acadie-Bathurst Titan's 7-4 win over the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday.
• The QMJHL is now on its holiday break until Dec. 28.
• A number of OHL games were postponed on Saturday following the news that 18-year-old forward Abakar Kazbekov of the London Knights died suddenly that morning. CTV News London has further details on his death.