sportsjabber.net

For the most part people around the World (or at least around North America) recognize December 26th as boxing day, but for me and other die hard hockey fans December 26th is when the preliminary rounds get underway for the 2012 World Junior  Champions in Alberta Canada.

Kitchener Rangers defenseman and Carolina’s 2011 first round draft pick (12th overall) Ryan Murphy failed to make the cut on quite possibly to toughest roster to make, Team Canada. Current Hurricane defenseman Justin Faulk won’t be playing for Team USA because the Carolina organization decided that it would be better for the 19 year old blueliner to stick with the club. So the Hurricanes organization will be represented by Victor Rask of Team Sweden.

Rask [Measurements: 6'1'' 194lbs] was selected in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2011 NHL entry draft. The Carolina management team seemed very excited to have gotten Rask at that spot and their first goal was too get their newly acquired prospect playing in North America. They could have chosen to let Rask play in Europe with Leksands IF, but after registering the most points by an U18 junior in Allsvenskan (which is the second highest level Swedish hockey league) the Hurricanes wanted too see how he’d be able to play the North American version of the game.

http://eastcoastcanes.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/2012-wjc-preliminary-rounds-begin-today/