Canada's all-time best world junior players: 15-11
In the lead-up to the 2022 World Junior Championship, we're looking back at the 25 best players to wear the Canadian jersey at the tournament. Rather than evaluating entire careers, these rankings are based solely on performances during the world juniors. We'll reveal five players each day, culminating with the best of the best Dec. 25.
25-21 | 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6 | 5-1
15. Sidney Crosby (2004, 2005)| GP | G | A |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 8 | 6 |
One of the few players to make Canada's world junior team as a 16-year-old, Crosby didn't have an especially stunning debut at the 2004 tournament. He put up just five points in six contests en route to the Canadians' heartbreaking loss to the United States in the gold-medal game.
Crosby returned with a vengeance in 2005, pummeling the competition with six goals - good for second on an extremely deep Canadian team. The budding star played a key role in helping Canada steamroll its way to its first world junior gold since 1997.
14. Ryan Getzlaf (2004, 2005)| GP | G | A |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 6 | 12 |
Getzlaf followed up a strong showing in his first world junior tournament with a dominant performance in his second. The skilled center produced three goals and three assists over six games in 2004 as Canada settled for silver. He racked up three goals and nine assists across six contests the following year en route to gold.
Getzlaf led all skaters in assists and ranked second in points at the 2005 tournament as Canada iced arguably its best world junior roster ever. He punctuated his performance with a goal and two assists in the gold-medal game. He's tied for seventh on both Canada's all-time world junior assists and points lists.
13. Jeff Carter (2004, 2005)
Jeff Vinnick / Getty Images Sport / Getty| GP | G | A |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 12 | 5 |
Carter has scored goals at an incredible rate practically every step of his career, and the world juniors were no different. He managed five goals and two assists in his debut tournament as Canada claimed silver. He stepped up his game during his second tournament, notching seven goals and three assists in six contests.
At the time, his 12 total goals across two tournaments tied him with Eric Lindros for the world junior record despite the fact that Lindros played in three events. Carter was a two-time tournament All-Star and one of the team's best snipers of all time.
12. Alex Pietrangelo (2009, 2010)| GP | G | A |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 4 | 11 |
Pietrangelo is unquestionably one of the greatest defensemen in Canadian world junior history. After capturing gold in 2009, he was named the top blue-liner at the 2010 tournament with a dominant showing that culminated in a silver medal for Canada. The gold-medal game was one of the most memorable the tournament has ever produced - capped by John Carlson's dramatic overtime winner for the United States.
Pietrangelo's 15 points across two tournaments are the second-most by a Canadian rearguard, and his performances were a precursor for his accomplishments in the NHL.
11. Thomas Chabot (2016, 2017)| GP | G | A |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 4 | 9 |
Chabot is one of the greatest defensemen ever to wear the maple leaf at the world juniors, ranking third in points and fifth in points per game among Canadian blue-liners.
The smooth-skating Chabot never guided Canada to a gold medal, but he did just about everything he could in 2017, leading his country with a dominant 10-point performance en route to tournament MVP honors.
Canada fell 5-4 to the U.S. in a shootout in the gold-medal game in 2017, but Chabot was terrific with a goal and an assist in the losing effort.
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