Will he or won't he? The biggest question regarding Canada's 2021 IIHF World Juniors roster has finally been answered: Alexis Lafreniere will not play.
"After ongoing discussions with the New York Rangers, Hockey Canada has been informed that Alexis Lafrenière will not be released to represent Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton," Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada's senior vice president of national teams, said in a statement Thursday. "Although we are disappointed Alexis will not be able to join our team for World Juniors, we understand and respect the decision made by the Rangers.”
While the 2020 tournament MVP and No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft (by the Rangers) was left off the selection camp list when it was announced in late October, he was on the minds of Hockey Canada over the summer. Lafreniere was invited to the online summer evaluation camp but was not required to attend.
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Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton said on a call with reporters when announcing Lafreniere's entry-level contract that the team wanted the rookie forward in New York to prepare for his first NHL season. When asked by Sporting News whether the NHL's start date being pushed further into 2021 from the tentative Jan. 1 date would affect Lafreniere's World Juniors availability, he noted that there had been some discussions.
"We're talking about those scenarios and what's going to happen," Gorton said. "Right now our focus is, get him here as soon as we can and have him start training and be here and start focusing on the NHL season, and then we'll take it as far as it comes as far as the world junior or any other situation that might come up."
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Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney said on a call with reporters when the roster was announced that there had been preliminary discussions with the Rangers.
"Jeff Gorton and I had a good chat, gave Jeff the opportunity to understand our timetable of what might be coming up with respect to this camp for example, and well beyond that," said Renney, a former Rangers head coach. "Jeff was certainly open-minded to the idea. [He's] hoping his player would have the opportunity to join the NHL team in New York as of now actually, to begin skating with the club."
Renney noted that he would circle back with Gorton in 10 days, but there was never any change regarding Lafreniere's status.
The move is surprising. Gorton has held firm that the Rangers want Lafreniere, who is in New York training with the club in preparation for the upcoming season. But when that season will begin is still up in the air. Playing in Edmonton for Canada would have given the 19-year-old a few games before the NHL season begins — which would have been key because he has not played a competitive game since the QMJHL postponed its season last in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.