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pontcanna
11-28-2011, 10:41 AM
WHL participants in World Junior camp announced today. I imagine Sundher's mediocre showing in the showcase game vs. the Russians didn't help his cause.

http://whl.ca/article/16-whl-players-invited-to-canada-s-jr-camp

pontcanna
11-29-2011, 01:15 AM
Sundher snubbed by world junior team

By Cleve Dheensaw, timescolonist.com November 28, 2011 11:05 PM

Victoria Royals forward Kevin Sundher awoke Monday to bad breaking news: He was left off the 41-player list for the Canadian team selection camp next month for the 2012 world junior hockey championships beginning Boxing Day in Calgary and Edmonton.

“It’s obviously a tough pill to swallow,” said Sundher, who has 16 goals and 40 points this season.

“It’s disappointing. It’s not the news I wanted to hear. It was a goal of mine coming into this season but now it can’t be reached. I’ll focus on my other goals, which are winning games in Victoria and signing a pro deal [he was taken in the third round of the 2010 NHL draft by the Buffalo Sabres].”

The fleet-footed Sundher missed two and two-thirds games with an upper body injury during a crucial stretch earlier this month.

“Everyone has setbacks they have to deal with and there can be no excuses,” he said.

The thing about Sundher is that he’s a well-grounded team player who doesn’t carry airs because of his star status, and so is well supported and liked in the Royals dressing room as a result.

“Kevin is a hard-working guy who puts in a good effort every day,” said Royals forward Brandon Magee.

“He deserved to be there [world juniors].”

Royals GM and head coach Marc Habscheid, a former coach of the Canadian world junior team, is solidly in Sundher’s corner.

“I’m disappointed for him,” said Habscheid.

“He’s played really well for us. And he’s as good a person and leader as he is a player. The positive is that there are a lot of good players in Canada. This shows how deep the talent pool is in Canada. A lot of guys who never made the [national junior] team or got invites turned out to be good pros. This doesn’t mold your future. You can be bitter or you can be better.”

The betting is that Sundher will answer by continuing to improve. His next point will break Ryan Howse’s franchise record 217 points. Howse, now a pro in the American Hockey League, played when the team was located in Chilliwack and known as the Bruins.

“That [impending franchise points record] is a cool thing. But it makes me feel old, to be honest,” said the 19-year-old Sundher.