New York Rangers: No Lafreniere at World Juniors

Hockey Canada announced Thursday that New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, will not be released to Canada for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships.

“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, senior vice-president of national teams for Hockey Canada said in a statement. “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.”

The Rangers have yet to say whether Kaapo Kakko, the second-overall pick in 2019, will be released to Finland for the tournament.

Lafreniere led Canada to a gold medal at the 2020 junior championship in the Czech Republic. He had four goals and six assists in five games and was named tournament MVP, but also missed a few games due to an injury.

All activity at Canada’s camp has been suspended from Nov. 25 until at least Sunday after two players and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19, something that may have also factored in the Ranger’s decision to keep his off Team Canada’s roster.

Of course, the news is not sitting well in hockey-crazed Canada, as pundits and fans have pointed out that the Blackhawks’ Kirby Dach, Avalanche’s Bowen Byram, and the Sabres’ Dylan Cozens have been made available to Canada.

While the above three are fine players, they are not generally considered the Rangers and/or the league’s next superstar. Also factored in is the fact that COVID-19 is continuing it’s spread across North America, prompting the NHL to consider an all-Canadian division this season. Lafreniere also did not return to the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL and instead has been in New York preparing for the NHL season. Traveling and border crossings are not recommended by the CDC at the current time.