Canada has yet to play an official game in the World Junior Championships this year, but they’re already facing some early adversity in the tournament.
The team lost their captain and star player, Kirby Dach, to this awkward hit in Canada’s exhibition game versus Russia.
The whole country held its breath waiting for a prognosis, and when it came, it confirmed the team’s worst fears: Dach would be out for the remainder of the tournament, and he’d even miss NHL time with his Chicago Blackhawks.
Dach took to Twitter soon after to thank Canadians for their well wishes.
Ahead of the team’s first official game against Germany tonight, Team Canada announced that the team will not replace Dach as captain, but because of IIHF rules that mandate someone on each team to wear a ‘C’, Bowen Byram and Dylan Cozens will alternate the role.
Dach will remain the team’s official captain despite his inability to play, and this message of encouragement to his teammates proves why.
Dach definitely shows solid leaderships skills even when he’s unable to play, and we’re cheering for his comeback this season with Chicago.
