Mackenzie Blackwood suspended for first 2 games of world juniors
Netminder's 8-game OHL ban honoured by Hockey Canada
The Ontario Hockey League has suspended Barrie Colts goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood — one of Canada's junior national team netminders — for eight games following a "stick incident" that happened during a game last Friday.
The league announced the suspension on Tuesday.
A spokesperson from Hockey Canada says it will honour the OHL's suspension and that Blackwood will have to sit out the first two games of the world junior hockey championship in Helsinki, Finland. Canada is scheduled to play the United States and Denmark in its first two games at the tournament.
However, Blackwood can play in pre-competition games.
Blackwood, a New Jersey Devils draft pick who was named to the Canadian world junior selection camp roster last week, slashed Sudbury Wolves forward Danny Desrochers during a Dec. 4 game in Sudbury. He was handed a match penalty for the slash.
Video of the play shows Desrochers in the crease before Blackwood raises his stick and comes down on his shoulder with a chopping motion. The league said Desrochers was not injured on the play.
Blackwood did not dress for Barrie's game against the Mississauga Steelheads two days later. The Colts have five more scheduled games before the leagues break ahead of the world junior tournament.
Hockey Canada announced Tuesday that it had added a third goaltender to their selection camp roster, Samuel Montembeault of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Defenceman Jeremy Lauzon of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies was also added to the team, replacing the injured Jake Walman.
Montembeault, a third-round draft pick of the Florida Panthers, was at Canada's junior team summer development camp in Calgary last August.
Selection camp runs from Dec. 10-14 in Toronto.
The world junior championship begins Dec. 26 in Helsinki.