USA snubs Canucks star prospect Brzustewicz ahead of World Juniors
Vancouver Canucks prospect Hunter Brzustewicz is having a sensational season in the OHL.
The 19-year-old defenceman is currently tied for second in league scoring, with 46 points in 28 games. He’s first among all OHL blueliners and is a whopping 10 points clear of second place.
Brzustewicz looks like a draft-day steal, given the Canucks chose him in the third round (75th overall) of this year’s draft.
And yet, USA Hockey snubbed him today.
Brzustewicz wasn’t one of the 29 players the Americans named to their preliminary roster for the World Junior Championship. Ten defencemen were picked for the team, including three players who were drafted behind Brzustewicz in the 2023 NHL Draft.
“We’re excited with the group we’ve selected,” said John Vanbiesbrouck, general manager of USA’s national junior team. “With the depth of our talent pool, it’s always challenging to narrow it down, and as we go through the process I’m always reminded of the terrific volunteers we have across the country at the grassroots level who help our players in their development.”
Team USA has announced their preliminary roster for the 2024 World Juniors in Gothenburg, Sweden pic.twitter.com/fldpgMkUwc
— J.D. Burke (@JDylanBurke) December 4, 2023
USA Hockey has been accused of showing preferential treatment for NCAA and USHL players in the past, and today’s roster announcement won’t quiet those claims. All 10 defencemen named to the preliminary roster play in the NCAA, while only three players named (two forwards and one goaltender) play major junior in Canada.
While the Canucks prospect wasn’t a slam-dunk choice to make the final roster, many expected that he would at least receive an invite to tryouts.
Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects wasn’t surprised by the move, saying that other offensive blueliners like Lane Hutson, Seamus Casey, and Zeev Buium were ahead of Brzustewicz on USA’s depth chart.
I know everyone is surprised that Hunter Brzustewicz was left off of the USA prelim roster
The points are there, but if you watch he's not generating them through elite tools or skating. He'd clearly be behind Hutson, Casey, and Buium for offensive minutes
Just no role for him
— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) December 4, 2023
There will likely be Canucks content at the World Juniors on Team Sweden, in the form of Tom Willander, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and perhaps Elias Pettersson (the other one).
The World Junior Championship is being played in Gothenburg, Sweden, this year, with the puck dropping on the tournament on December 26.
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