A few moments ago it was announced that Charles Hudon would not be suiting up against CIS players today in a game where Team Canada hopefuls will fight for roster spots. This only means one thing for Hudon, that he doesn’t have to fight for his spot anymore.
Team Canada officials have been high on Hudon right from the get-go, and many tab him as a top 6 talent, likely to play with Ryan Strome on the second line, due to his all around skills and high end drive.
Hudon has spent this season making Trevor Timmins look like a genius, scoring at a high rate in the QMJHL, leading his team and recently being named captain. That he’s so high on Canada’s radar as an 18 year old in a year where all players under 20 are available to them due to the lockout is extremely impressive. That he’s set to crack the top 6 and doesn’t even have to play extra time to earn his spot is spectacular.
Our own Bruce Peter believes that part of what has allowed Hudon to become such an effective player while being underrated in the draft was that he played in perhaps the toughest division in the CHL last season, with every team over .500. This high strength of competition made his numbers look slightly less impressive on the surface than they actually were, which resulted in him tumbling down the draft rankings.
We at EOTP will of course provide full coverage of the World Juniors in Ufa, Russia, game threads starting at 4AM EST.
