World juniors: Team Canada to lean heavily on D-man Dumba | Toronto Star

Team Canada coach Brent Sutter sounds as if he’s going to lean heavily on Matt Dumba, on loan from the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. Dumba used to play for Sutter in Red Deer. Sutter recently traded his WHL rights to Portland.“He’s a good leader,” Sutter said of Dumba before the team left for Europe. “He’s like all the kids. They’re great guys. You want to be that way off the ice. On the ice, you have to have a different switch to hit and you’ve got to be completely different.“

Superb personalities off the ice doesn’t necessarily make you win on the ice. You have to have a switch that turns that and Matt can do it pretty quickly.”

Dumba has twice been one of the last cuts from Team Canada’s world junior entry. Many believed it was a mistake to leave him off last year’s team.“Anytime any player goes through that for two straight years, it leaves maybe some scars. Matt’s pretty grown up, a pretty mature kid,” said Sutter. “I like to think Matt was excited about that and now in his third year he gets that chance. Rightly so.

“He’s been one of the best defencemen in our country for the last year. We’re leaning on him.”Dumba said he believes his time in the NHL this year will help him overseas.“I hope it translates,” said Dumba. “I hope to lead by example. I think that’s the best way to lead. You have to go and get that respect from your teammates. Just work as hard as you can and do whatever it takes to win. Take the role the coach asks of you.

”So far in camp, Dumba has been paired with Owen Sound’s Chris Bigras; Derrick Pouliot of the Winterhawks with Barrie’s Aaron Ekblad; Prince Albert’s Josh Morrissey with Kelowna’s Damon Severson; and Reinhart of the Edmonton Oil Kings with Erie’s Adam Pelech.Canada will likely go with seven defencemen when final cuts are announced, meaning one from that group will be cut. Had Rielly been airlifted in, it would have meant two defencemen would have been cut.

via World juniors: Team Canada to lean heavily on D-man Dumba | Toronto Star.