The Anaheim Ducks witnessed the tremendous upside of cornerstone talents like Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish star on the World Junior Championship stage in recent years. Zegras was outstanding at the tournament in 2021, topping all skaters with 11 assists and 18 points in seven games. He helped lead the United States to a gold-medal triumph and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP).
McTavish, who is having a superb sophomore season in the NHL, followed suit in 2022, pacing all scorers with eight goals and 17 points over seven games to help Canada win gold. He also claimed the MVP honor and was tabbed as the Best Forward of the tournament. Olen Zellweger’s performance in 2022 is worth highlighting as well. He generated a tournament-high nine helpers and led all blueliners with 11 points.
The Ducks’ 2024 WJC class didn’t come close to making the same impact. The players chosen to compete in the tournament had largely forgettable showings because of injury, illness, struggles on the ice, and some disappointing team results.
Luneau, Port, and Terrance Didn’t Get to Compete in Tournament
Tristan Luneau was ruled out just before the start of the tournament because of a viral infection. He dealt with a lingering illness since joining Team Canada in Sweden, which prevented him from practicing and playing in any exhibition contests. The 19-year-old was expected to be a key contributor and leader for Canada after gaining some valuable professional experience with the Ducks and San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League this season. He was projected to log big minutes on the second defense pairing and see playing time on the second power-play unit.
Hockey Canada management lead Peter Anholt said that Luneau wasn’t able to leave for home until Jan. 1 because the virus had prevented him from traveling. It was a difficult pill to swallow for all those involved, especially with the family coming over to watch him compete in the event. Anholt had a feeling that Luneau could have been the best defenseman at the tournament.
The talented rearguard will return to the Ducks, but it’s unclear if he will continue to play in the NHL or head back to the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He would benefit a great deal from continuing to learn in the pro ranks, but getting more minutes at the junior level would also be good for his development. Whatever situation allows him to play regularly is arguably the superior option.
Vojtěch Port didn’t get to play for Czechia after sustaining a broken finger on a blocked shot during a pre-tournament contest. He will report to a different team once he is back in the Western Hockey League after getting traded from the Edmonton Oil Kings to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Dec. 27. Port, who had three goals and 12 points in 26 outings with the Oil Kings, is expected to occupy a top-four role with the Warriors. However, he is projected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks because he needs to undergo surgery to repair his index finger (from ‘Matheson: Edmonton Oil Kings GM swings for the fences with two huge trades,’ Edmonton Journal, Dec. 28, 2023). He will probably be in the running for a spot with Czechia at the 2025 World Juniors as the team looks to improve upon a bronze-medal victory from 2024 and a silver-medal finish in 2023.
Related: Ducks News & Rumors: Carlsson, Henrique, Luneau, Port & More
Carey Terrance didn’t get a chance to play for the United States during the 2024 World Junior Championship. He was healthy — unlike Luneau and Port — but he was with the team as an extra who could only be activated if a rostered player suffered an injury or illness that would’ve made them unavailable for the remainder of the tournament. Terrance, who has 22 goals and 34 points in 28 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) games with the Erie Otters this season, will likely be considered for a role in Team USA’s lineup in 2025 when they look for a gold-medal repeat.
Warren and Dionicio Eliminated in the Quarterfinals
Canada’s bid for three straight gold-medal wins at the WJC came to an end in a 3-2 loss to Czechia on Tuesday (Jan. 2). It wasn’t a favorable showing for Noah Warren, who didn’t contribute a point in five outings for the tournament. He frequently had trouble keeping up with the speed of his opponents and often got lost in transition from the offensive end to the defensive zone. Warren was tasked with handling a larger role than he was ready for on Canada’s defense corps due to the absences of Luneau and Tanner Molendyk, who is a Nashville Predators prospect. Molendyk suffered a break in the bone of his wrist during Canada’s final pre-tournament contest, which made him unavailable for the tournament.
The 19-year-old Warren, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 216 pounds, will return to the QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign. He has the potential to be a fifth or sixth defender for the Ducks in the future, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was a regular in the AHL next season to better hone his skills with and without the puck.
Rodwin Dionicio and Team Switzerland were defeated by Sweden in a 3-2 overtime loss despite giving the hosts all they could handle. The 19-year-old defender had two goals and two assists in five contests for the Swiss, which are fairly solid numbers. Regrettably, his hooking penalty in overtime led to Sweden’s game-winning power-play tally. Dionicio, who has 11 goals and 29 points in 26 OHL matches between the Windsor Spitfires and Saginaw Spirit in 2023-24, will rejoin the Spirit.
Ducks Should Still Be Confident in Prospect Pool
The Ducks possess one of the better prospect pools in the NHL, and thanks to a talented young corps, the team was ranked No. 1 in Corey Pronman’s pipeline rankings ahead of the 2023-24 season. Pronman wrote: “Anaheim has put together a young foundation that has the potential to be a Stanley Cup contender. They have a plethora of high-end talent at center and defense, which is typically how you build winners. They have skill, size and compete throughout their pipeline led by high picks Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson and Jamie Drysdale, among others. There have been some dark days in Anaheim in recent years but I think within five seasons they will be a good team again” (from ‘Anaheim Ducks rank No. 1 in NHL Pipeline Rankings for 2023,’ The Athletic, Aug. 24, 2003).
Despite some difficult circumstances, the organization’s brass should still feel very good about the bevy of prospects that the team has assembled. Warren and Dionicio still have plenty of potential. Luneau and Port will eventually return to full health, and Terrance could get his time to shine down the line. Poor results from one tournament aren’t nearly enough of a reason to write any of them off, and it could provide plenty of motivation for improvement.