Three Vegas Golden Knights players in Nicolas Roy, Zach Whitecloud and Logan Thompson are all in Finland to represent Team Canada at the 2022 IIHF World Championship.
This isn’t what they or anyone else would have expected this past fall, as this Golden Knights team was one that many expected to go on a deep playoff run, one that some predicted would result in a Stanley Cup Championship. As we know now, however, that wasn’t the case, as this team was decimated by injuries all season long, and as a result, missed the playoffs entirely.
As far as the three competing for Team Canada in the World Championship, all are important members of this Golden Knights team. Roy, 25, had his best season as an NHLer in 2021-22, registering career highs across the board with 15 goals and 39 points in 78 games. For Whitecloud, the season was rather frustrating as he battled numerous injuries. When he was able to get into the lineup, he was solid with 19 points in 59 games along with a plus/minus of plus 21 while averaging just under 19 minutes in ice time per contest.
The biggest surprise of the season for the Golden Knights was Thompson. The 25-year-old was expected to spend the 2021-22 campaign in the American Hockey League, but was able to not only make his first NHL start, but appear in 19 games thanks to injuries to both Robin Lehner and Laurent Brossoit. He made the most of his opportunity in that short span, compiling a solid 2.68 goals against average along with a .914 save percentage. Both he and Seattle Kraken goaltender Chris Driedger are expected to compete for the starting position.
On Friday, Team Canada opened the tournament with a 5-3 win over Germany with Thompson getting the win in goal and both Roy and Whitecloud working on the top line, with Roy registering an assist.
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