Bjarnason thrilled with Hockey Canada experience

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This article was published 10/08/2022 (1365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s been quite a year for Carson Bjarnason.

The Carberry goalie won a gold medal with Team Canada last week at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Red Deer, Alta., which came after going undrafted by 22 Western Hockey League teams in 2020, getting listed by the Brandon Wheat Kings and then becoming the first 16-year-old goalie to get full-time work with the Brandon Wheat Kings since 1990.

Even he’s a little amazed at all that’s happened.

“It’s fun,” Bjarnason said with a chuckle. “I play hockey because it’s fun. It’s the reason you should play the game and it’s what I love to do. It’s not like I’m trying to make history or anything, I’m just trying to play the game that I love and just have fun while doing it.

“That’s all it’s been so far.”

Bjarnason found out in June he was on Hockey Canada’s radar when he got a call from Lethbridge Hurricanes general manager Peter Anholt, who was part of the management group for the team. Anholt invited him to the team’s selection camp, which was held in Calgary.

The news was released on July 21.

“Everybody knowing that I didn’t go to the U17 (camp), it was definitely a little bit of a surprise and caught me off guard,” Bjarnason said.

Three other goalies were invited to camp, including Scott Ratzlaff of the Seattle Thunderbirds, Jackson Unger of the Moose Jaw Warriors and Mason Vaccari, who played for the Cobourg Cougars of the Ontario Junior Hockey League last year and is a signed prospect of the Ontario Hockey League’s Kingston Frontenacs.

The team was keeping three goalies in case somebody got hurt, so only one netminder would be released.

“There was a lot of competition,” Bjarnason said. “Obviously it’s the 44 best players in Canada so everybody there has a full skill set and plays a 200-foot game and knows how the systems work.

“It was definitely nice to know where I was at in terms of all of Canada and who was up with me.”

After camp, the players were individually invited into the coaching office, where they were told their fate.

It was a big moment for Bjarnason to learn he was sticking around after Vaccari was cut.

“Obviously it was unbelievable,” Bjarnason said. “I didn’t really know what to expect. I was confident in camp but you don’t want to think you’re already on the team and then something else happens. It was definitely a relief, but then you realize the real work is just starting.

“With Canada being such a highly touted team, it’s a job to bring home the gold. That was the next task. My phone definitely blew up in the next couple of days after they posted the lineups.”

Interestingly, as the only Manitoban invited to the camp, Bjarnason didn’t know a soul when he arrived, although he had played against some guys in the WHL.

The challenge for Hockey Canada staff was bringing together a group of strangers to form a cohesive team by the time the tournament started. Bjarnason said they did a good job.

“We really had to get together quick and all knew each other and were on a personal level with each other, especially after the team was made,” Bjarnason said. “We had to do a lot of team bonding and teamwork off the ice to make sure we got along on the ice.

“They kind of correlate and that was very easy for all of us. All the guys were amazing.”

The new roster skated together for the first time against another nation when they met Finland in an exhibition game on July 29. Bjarnason split the game with Ratzlaff, making 15 saves as Canada earned a 6-0 victory.

“I was pretty nervous, even in the pre-tournament game,” Bjarnason said. “The actual tournament hadn’t even started. I felt the same as I do before every game.

“When you take a step back and kind of look at what you’re doing, it definitely brings more nerves to the table. It was just unreal to be there and so much fun. I had such a great team in front of me. I didn’t have to worry near as much as some other times.”

Bjarnason said the key to taming his nerves was reacting to the game as more of a personal challenge. When it was just him and the puck, he was fine. When it occurred to him that he was representing Canada, that made things a little tougher.

“You realize it’s just a game and I had been working my way to this point,” Bjarnason said. “Every practice I’ve ever had and every drill I’ve ever done was all preparation leading up to the games. You’re supposed to be loose and just feel the puck and be confident.

“When I broke it down, it was just me stopping the puck. It was me and the puck out there.”

The Brandon Wheat Kings netminder appeared in one game in the tournament, allowing one goal on 20 shots as Canada beat Slovakia 9-1.

Bjarnason said there is internal pressure for the team to do well at the event, which started in 1991. Canada didn’t compete in 2021 due to the pandemic, and other than that, didn’t earn medals in 2016, 2007 and 2003.

The national team has 23 golds, three silvers and one bronze.

“You definitely have to handle it the right way or it will get to you,” Bjarnason said. “But it’s all worth it and part of why we play the game.”

It became mission accomplished for the Canadian teenagers, who were all born in 2005, when they beat Sweden 4-1 on Saturday. Bjarnason was backing up Ratzlaff, who made 25 saves in the victory, and was just as nervous on the bench.

That made the final buzzer that much sweeter.

“It was unbelievable,” Bjarnason said. “You go out there with all your brothers who you’ve known for the past three weeks. It’s a relief. You feel like you got the job done. You can kind of relax and let loose and not have to worry about any stats you’ve been looking at or any nerves you have.

“You’re touted as the best in the world so that feels amazing.”

Now he’s turning the page back to the Wheat Kings.

It’s a big season for Bjarnason, who will be Brandon’s only returning goalie after the graduation of overager Ethan Kruger.

Bjarnason appeared in 23 games with the Wheat Kings as a 16-year-old rookie last season, posting a 4.00 goals-against average and .882 save percentage. While he would seem to have the inside track on the starter’s job, Bjarnason isn’t taking anything for granted.

“I’m excited to see who’s stepping up to the plate and who our top guys are going to be,” Bjarnason said. “I’m obviously excited to have to re-crack the roster.

“I don’t want to look at it as I’m already there. I want to remake the team so it will definitely be an awesome experience again.”

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