The World Juniors tournament has provided Caps fans with plenty of reasons to watch in recent years. John Carslon (2010) and Karl Alzer (2007, 2008) played for the United States and Canada, respectively – Carlson earning the eternal ire of Canadian fans for his game-winning, gold-medal clinching overtime goal in 2010.
Marcus Johansson scored two goals for Sweden in the 2009 tournament. Nicklas Backstrom (2007) went, too, and, Alex Ovechkin did his best Van Wilder impression with appearances in 2003, 2004 and 2005. He was just that good as a teenager. Alex Semin joined him on Team Russia in 2004. Brooks Laich has long claimed he tossed his silver medal from 2003 with Team Canada in a drawer somewhere in his parents’ house in Saskatchewan. Ovechkin got him that year in the gold-medal game. Goalie Michal Neuvirth was with the Czech Republic in 2008. Think it’s easy to make this event? Mike Green never did.
Back in the day, Roman Hamrlik (1992), Tomas Vokoun (1996) and Jason Chimera (1999) participated. Last year was a bonanza with top prospects Dmitry Orlov and Evegeny Kuznetsov leading Russia to the gold medal, Philipp Grubauer (Germany), Patrick Wey (United States), Cody Eakin (Canada) and Steffen Soberg (Norway) were other Caps prospects who participated – Eakin with AHL Hershey now, obviously, after 19 games in the NHL earlier this year and Grubauer (1.99 goals-against average, .928 save percentage) having a fine rookie season at ECHL South Carolina.
Wey, a Boston College defenseman, hopes to return soon after suffering a severed tendon in his right foot in October. Kuznetsov has 12 goals and 12 assists in 32 games with Traktor Chelyabinsk, his KHL club, and is back again as captain of this year’s Russian team. He’s about all Washington fans have to watch in this year’s event.
But feel free to follow local kid Jarred Tinordi, son of former Caps defenseman Mark Tinordi. The 6-foot-7, 215-pounder is a big rig defenseman, as CSN analyst Craig Laughlin would say. The Millersville, Md. native had a scholarship offer from Notre Dame. But he chose instead to play last season in the OHL with the London Knights for Dale Hunter. Tinordi returned for another campaign with the Knights though Hunter is obviously no longer in the picture after taking over the Caps’ bench from Bruce Boudreau on Nov. 28. But the move has worked for Tinordi, who not only made the United States roster for this year’s World Juniors, but he was named an alternate captain on Friday. The tournament starts Dec. 26.
“Jarred’s not a finesse player, he’s a hard worker, and he’s kind of like Dale. He’s a good leader and he works hard for his ice time,” Mark Tinordi said during a conversation last month. “You have a guy like that teaching you every day how to be a pro, you learn a lot from that. Another reason [Jarred] wanted to play 72 games and travel and play against the best players in the world. I don’t want to put words in Jarred’s mouth. He went there for his own reasons. Obviously if Dale wasn’t there, it might’ve been a way harder decision.”
Hunter’s brother, Mark, took over as London’s coach. Tinordi is already property of the Montreal Canadiens after being drafted No. 22 overall in 2010. Mark Tinordi played 12 years in the NHL with the New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars and the Caps.
“He’s a big man. He’s [6-foot-7]. He’s a defensive defenseman,” Hunter said. “He moves the puck and he’s tough and a very good skater – better than his dad. Sorry, Mark. He’s tough, too, like his dad was. He’s played well for [London]. He’s our captain, he’s our leader.”
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