SUMMERSIDE – Noah Dobson will realize a once-in-a-lifetime moment on Boxing Day.
That is when the Summerside native will skate onto the ice to open preliminary-round play in one of the most prestigious hockey tournaments of the year. An added bonus is Dobson will experience this in front of an expected fired up crowd on Canadian soil.
Dobson was one of 22 players selected to play for Team Canada in the International Ice Hockey Federation world junior championship in Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.
“It’s a dream come true to play for Team Canada,” said Dobson.
Click here for story on Noah Dobson being named to Team Canada's selection camp:
Team Canada, which opens against Denmark on Wednesday at 9 p.m., Atlantic Time, selected its roster from a 34-player selection camp in Victoria from Dec. 10 to 14.
“It’s definitely nerve-racking,” continued Dobson, who admitted he, along with all the players, experienced their share of stressful moments awaiting the team’s final selection. “The whole week (of selection camp) is kind of intense, and everyone is a little nervous and anxious.”
Especially on roster selection day.
“You are waiting in your hotel room and you either get a call saying pack your stuff and go downstairs, or you get a call to go down to the room with the team,” said Dobson, 18. “I was really happy with the news that I got, and I’m excited for what’s ahead.”
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First-round pick
A first-round pick, 12th overall, by the New York Islanders in the 2018 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Dobson is expected to play a key role on Team Canada’s blue-line.
“Everybody knows how talented Noah is,” said Team Canada assistant coach Jim Hulton, who is head coach and general manager of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s (QMJHL) Charlottetown Islanders. “Not only that, but he has a pedigree of winning, (he was) a Memorial Cup champion last year.
“He’s a pressure-tested guy we are going to lean heavily on. He’s a big mobile defenceman that can join the attack. I think he is at his best when his feet are moving and he’s joining the attack.
“On the rush it’s almost like a fourth forward jumping in. He’s really responsible in the defensive zone, and there’s a reason he was picked where he was in the National Hockey League. He’s a terrific player with a ton of upside. We are pretty excited to have him in the fold.”
Dobson expects to play a similar role that he plays in the QMJHL with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. “They want to see me play a two-way game, contribute offensively on the power play, but also be reliable defensively and be strong in both ends of the rink,” offered the son of Andrew and Jenny Dobson. “I just want to translate my game how I play in junior over to this level.”
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International experience
Dobson is no stranger to the international game, having won a gold medal at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial under-18 tournament, he competed in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and played for Team QMJHL in the Canada-Russia Series. Dobson, however, understands this event will be different.
“Playing in the world juniors on Canadian soil there is a lot of hype and expectations,” said Dobson. “We just want to stay in the moment, and go one day at a time.”
One big sacrifice for players in the world junior tournament is being away from their families for Christmas. Dobson said his family is scheduled to fly to Vancouver for the tournament on Boxing Day.
“I don’t know how (Christmas Day is) going to play out,” said Dobson. “We have a practice, but other than that I don’t know what they have planned.”
With the Titan rebuilding and Dobson’s name popping up in trade rumours to contending teams, has this been a distraction?
“It is and it isn’t,” answered Dobson. “With Sylvain (Couturier), the GM in Bathurst, he respects where I am and this is my focus right now.
“There are rules in place where players at the world juniors cannot be traded (while there), and after this we will sit down and deal with everything.”
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