Yeah, I’m late posting this, with the shocking passing of Pierre Lacroix and the usual hectic happenings with Christmas approaching, along with taking care of our excitable new rescue puppy (Willow, a shepherd mix).
Anyway, Drew Helleson is the fourth Avalanche prospect to win a place at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championships.
Helleson, a 19-year-old defenseman, earned a spot on the U.S. roster for the tournament to be played at Rogers Place in Edmonton from Christmas Day through Jan. 5, 2021.
Helleson, who is 6-foot-3 and 193 pounds, was the Avalanche’s second-round pick (No. 47) in the 2019 NHL draft.
The Farmington, Minn., native had six points (one goal, five assists) in 28 games in his freshman year at Boston College after posting 63 points (10 goals, 53 assists) in 125 games in two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program.
He helped Team USA capture the bronze medal at the 2019 IIHF Under-18 World Championship tournament in Sweden and collected a gold medal at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Helleson joins Avalanche prospects Alex Newhook (a Boston College teammate) Justin Barron and Bowen Byram in the tournament, who will represent Team Canada.
The U.S. plays Switzerland and Finland in exhibition games on Dec. 20 and Dec. 22, respectively, before playing a preliminary-round game on Christmas against Russia.
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Here’s Hockey Hall of Famer Peter Forsberg reflecting on his relationship with Pierre Lacroix in an interview with Altitude Sports Radio (sorry for the commercial at the start):
Remembering the life of a legacy.https://t.co/Cmz07lOtSU
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 14, 2020