Perfetti earns spot on Canada's World Junior roster

Cole Perfetti has accomplished a dream he's had since he began watching the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship as a kid.
He remembers watching Jordan Eberle score the tying goal against Russia in 2009. He also vividly recalls John Tavares' hat trick against the USA on New Years' Eve that same tournament.
Now, he'll be one of the 25 players fans all over the country will watch over the holidays, as he was named to Canada's 25-man roster for the 2021 World Junior tournament, which will take place in Edmonton, Alberta beginning on Christmas Day.

Even better, the people he watched those games with - his parents Angelo and Sandra, and his sister, Abby - were the ones to tell him his dream had come true.
"So I got a knock, went out, and my parents and my sister were on FaceTime," said Perfetti. "It's been a family goal and something we've all wanted. My family has been really supportive of me, so to be able to share the news from them and hear it from them, it was pretty cool."
The 18-year-old attended last year's camp but was one of the final cuts to the roster that ended up winning the gold medal. He used that disappointment as motivation and finished the pandemic shortened 2019-20 campaign with 37 goals and 111 points in 61 OHL games to lead the Saginaw Spirit in scoring. His 74 assists were the second most in the OHL, and on top of that, Perfetti was named the CHL's Scholastic Player of the Year.
"Being so close and then falling short, getting cut, then watching them win the gold medal made me really hungry and motivate me to make the team this year," said Perfetti. "All the hard work and everything paid off, it's all worth it now."
Perfetti has worn his country's colours before. He won a silver medal with Canada's National Men's Under-18 Team at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Also on his resume, he played for Canada White at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
After earning an invitation to this year's unique camp in Red Deer (and being part of the group that had to quarantine for two weeks due to positive tests within the team), Perfetti finished with four assists in four intrasquad games.
Throughout those four games, Perfetti played up and down the line-up on the wing. He felt his game got better and better as camp went on - even with a two-week quarantine in the middle of it - and it culminated with his two best games over the last couple days.
"Everyone you're playing with, up and down the line-up or you're playing against, they're obviously great players," Perfetti said. "It makes it challenging, but it also makes you a better player."
Canada's head coach, Andre Tourigny, saw Perfetti get better throughout the camp - no matter what was thrown at him.
"I think early in the camp he needed to grasp the concept and get better defensively, which he did," said Tourigny after the final intrasquad game. "He's a smart kid, he wants to learn, he wants to please you, he wants to do what he has to do, what's demanded from coaches. He's a fun kid to coach. Obviously, he was really good on the power play, but even at 5-on-5 he does a lot of things."
Tourigny added the coaching staff changed Perfetti's linemates throughout the camp and that the Jets prospect showed his ability to adjust on the fly.
Perfetti knows that ability is key on a team as deep and skilled as Canada's, which boasts 20 first round picks out of 25 rostered players.
"It's good to hear that he's seen my progress and me adapt to the team system," said Perfetti. "I was happy with the games, happy with how I played and my progress throughout."
Perhaps what makes the progress even more impressive is the fact Perfetti and his teammates had a two-week quarantine in the middle of camp after two players tested positive for COVID-19.
All camp activities came to a stop and players had to remain in their hotel rooms. Hockey Canada set up three formal Zoom calls per day, one that was physical fitness based, another for mental health, and another for social interaction.
Needless to say, they were happy to get back to work when the 14 days were over.
"We got out early in the morning and went downstairs and sat outside for a couple minutes. We took a couple breaths of fresh air, then went on with our day," Perfetti laughed, indicating the team had two practices on Dec. 8.
The schedule doesn't lighten up going forward either.
"The next couple days here will be practice and do stuff as a team. Sunday we leave for Edmonton to go to the bubble," said Perfetti, adding the players will have to quarantine for a couple days and test negative a required amount of times before officially going into the bubble.
"Then right away we have practices and a couple days later, our pre-tournament games against Sweden and Russia," he said. "I'm really looking forward to it and I'm excited to do it."