Alexis Lafreniere's agent issues a statement on his status for the World Juniors.

Lafreniere's agent may be calling the shots here.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 4 years ago
Alexis Lafreniere's agent issues a statement on his status for the World Juniors.

Hockey Canada has not released an official update on star forward Alexis Lafreniere since his injury at the World Junior Championship over the weekend, but comments made today by his agent may suggest that the projected 1st overall pick at the 2020 National Hockey League Entry Draft may be done participating in the tournament. 

"We are having the MRI results reviewed by doctors both in Minnesota and Montreal to make sure we are making the right decisions. Alexis wants to play more than anything but that decision will be taken based on his long term future and to not risk anything," said Emilie Castonguay as per TSN NHL insider Bob McKenzie"It is simply too important. If there is any risk to aggravate the injury or expose a weakened knee to any further injury, he will not be taking that risk."

Now call me a pessimist but that certainly sounds to me like an agent that has no intention of advising her injured client to return to action in this tournament. As I stated Lafreniere is projected to go first overall at next year's NHL draft and there is just simply no way that putting him in harm's way makes any kind of sense for him in the long run, not with so much on the line for him at this stage of his career. If he does indeed miss the remainder of the tournament it will prove to be a huge blow to the Canadian squad that has already had its fair share of struggles during the 2019 World Junior Championship. 

Not only were the Canadians soundly defeated by the Russians in one of their preliminary games, the Russians embarrassed the Canadians with a 6 - 0 margin of victory, but they also lost forward Joe Veleno in the process. Veleno was suspended one game for what the International Ice Hockey Federation is calling a headbutt, although that decision was criticized by Hockey Canada earlier today, and that meant that Canada was forced to play Germany today without two of their regular forwards. 

The Canadians managed to overcome the deficit in that one, beating Germany by a score of 4 - 1, and now they will look to continue to do so throughout the tournament, potentially without Lafreniere. 


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