With the Americans announcing their training camp for the World Junior Championships last week, the topic that always comes up is CHL snubs. The two “snubs” that are getting most of the attention are Mitch Wahl and Emerson Etem who both play in the WHL.
Wahl played last year for the Americans in Ottawa where he had a goal and three assists in six games. I am the type where I will take any guy with an World Junior experience to the roster. His play hasn’t dropped off this season either with 11 goals and 22 assists in 28 games with the Spokane Chiefs.
At the same time, who know maybe he isn’t a great locker room type and is a detriment to the team? I have confidence in head coach Dean Blais that he and the rest of the coaching staff that they are making the right decision.
With Blais, I don’t think he will be bias towards NCAA or NCAA bound players. There are 10 players with CHL ties on the prelim roster. He wants to win and looking at the training camp roster, this team will be built like a “team” and not an All-Star team.
Etem is a 17-year old who spent last season with the National Team Development Program. He then decided to go the CHL route and join the Medicine Hat Tigers. He hasn’t disappointed with 20 goals and 10 assists in 32 games.
Now I wouldn’t have a problem with him receiving an invite to training camp but I don’t think he would have made the final roster. This tournament is a 19-year old tournament unless you really lighting it up as a 17-year old then there’s no reason to an underager on the roster. If Etem isn’t on the roster next year then it will be a different story.
I think someone that hasn’t been talked about that is right up there is defenseman Adam Comrie of the Guelph Storm. In 29 games, he has 6 goals and 12 assists. He has size at 6’4, 213. I would have given him the nod over John Ramage or Justin Faulk on the training camp roster.
The other player that has been talked about being a snub is Windsor Spitfires forward Austin Watson. He’s having a decent year with 8 goals and 15 assists in 32 games. He’s on a stacked team but that the problem. He hasn’t had the opportunity to show his offensive talents in a top six role. Next year we will find out his true potential
