Читать книгу Hope and Heartbreak in Toronto. Life as a Maple Leafs Fan онлайн

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Two teenage prospects being let go from their World Junior team is no big deal, right? Maybe it’s not important if viewed in the context of that one year. But it becomes quite relevant when you take the wider view and realize how often the Leafs simply don’t measure up when it comes to hockey competitions such as the World Juniors, Olympics, and Canada/World Cups.

The World Juniors tends to be a good barometer of a prospect’s future because if a young player is on his way to becoming an elite professional, there is a very good chance that he will play in at least one World Junior Championship. Because the tournament is generally regarded as a tournament for nineteen-year-olds and players are typically drafted in the year they turn eighteen, their prime opportunity to play for their country comes in the season or two after they are selected by an NHL club. Therefore, the evaluation process that players go through to make their respective teams also serves as an unofficial report card on NHL clubs’ scouting departments.