The ’12 Days of Christmas’ is a classic holiday song first published in its current form in 1908. In a nod to the classic carol, join The Hockey Writers as we count down the 12 Days of Hockeymas. Each day, we will provide you with a piece of hockey history as we eagerly await the start of the 2020-21 NHL season.
On the third day of Hockeymas, the Vegas Golden Knights gave their fans three draft picks competing at the 2021 World Juniors Championship. Peyton Krebs and Kaedan Korczak will be representing Team Canada, while Brendan Brisson will be representing Team USA. The tournament is set to officially begin on Dec. 25.
Peyton Krebs
Krebs is a former first-round draft pick by the Golden Knights. He was selected 17th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He is a product of the WHL and has been the captain of the Winnipeg Ice for the past three seasons. Given Krebs’ leadership role, there should be no doubt in Golden Knights fans midns that he can live up to the pressure of playing in the World Juniors.
As of Dec. 21, Krebs is currently listed as the fourth-line right-winger. This is due to the sheer amount of talent on Team Canada. There are multiple players on the Canada roster who have already had NHL experience or have competed at the World Juniors before. Krebs is an elite offensive player and his presence was felt during the 2019-20 WHL season where he recorded 60 points in 38 games.
Although he is not one of the headline players for Team Canada, the Golden Knights prospect will certainly be a key piece of the Team Canada roster.
Kaedan Korczak
Korczak is the Golden Knights’ other prospect representing Team Canada at the World Juniors. He was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft with the 41st pick. Being another product of the WHL, he has proved himself as a physical force while playing with the Kelowna Rockets. During the 2019-20 season, he managed to score 49 points in 60 games while bringing his penalty minutes down from 44 to 27 on the season.
Currently, Korczak is slated on the second defensive pair for Team Canada. Standing at 6-foot-4, he will make his presence known on the Canadian blueline. Vegas fans should be excited as there is a good chance that Korczak can make his way to Sin City sooner rather than later. With the Golden Knights currently up against the salary cap limit and two of their seven defensemen scheduled to become free agents, the former second-round pick could find his way to the NHL due to his entry-level contract.
Brendan Brisson
Brisson is the most recent first-round draft pick of the Golden Knights. He was selected 29th overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and will be representing Team USA at the World Juniors. He is a product of the USHL and is currently playing at the University of Michigan as a freshman. So far, he has recorded seven points in eight games in his college career.
Brisson will be joining a United States lineup that consists of 23 NHL draft picks and two draft-eligible players. He will be looking to build off of his current success in the NCAA with an impressive showing at the World Juniors. In addition to playing on the wing, he can also play center which will give the Team USA coaching staff some unique options when crafting lineups.
Unfortunately for Golden Knights fans, there is no guarantee that their prospects will face off against each other. Team Canada and Team USA are in different groups for this tournament. However, there is always the chance that the two countries could meet to compete for the gold medal, which could potentially give one side bragging rights over the other in a future Vegas locker room.