Will Columbus Blue Jackets’ Denton Mateychuk keep the magic going at world juniors?

Credit: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff

OAKVILLE, Ontario – Everyone knew Denton Mateychuk was a damn good hockey player.

But they probably didn’t know he was THIS good. It took 24 games, but the Moose Jaw Warriors star was finally held off the scoresheet for the first time in the regular season in the last game before heading over to Canada’s world junior selection camp.

Maybe it was the nerves. Maybe his mind was somewhere else. A defenseman riding a 23-game point streak is absurd – but if anyone was going to be able to do it, it was Mateychuk.

The Columbus Blue Jackets product is one of the best offensive defenders in the CHL, riding on the back of 64 and 65-point seasons the past two years, respectively. Even with the world juniors getting in the way, Mateychuk is on pace for 85 points, which will drop once he misses games. But playing a top-pairing role against quality competition at a tournament like this could be huge for once he returns.

Mateychuk is no stranger to Hockey Canada, although it’s been a while since he donned the maple leaf. He helped the team win bronze at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games before nabbing gold at the 2021 U-18 World Championship team. He was an underager on that U-18 group that also included Shane Wright, Connor Bedard, Mason McTavish, Logan Stankoven, Olen Zellweger, Dylan Guenther, Brandt Clarke, Wyatt Johnston and Brennan Othmann, among others. It even featured two fellow Blue Jackets defensive prospects in Guillaume Richard and Corson Ceuelemans.

Mateychuk only dressed in three games, but you couldn’t tell he was underage. At the time, scouts raved about his composure under pressure and his work with the puck – traits that have only improved over time.

“He plays an all-around game,” said Alan Letang, Canada’s coach for the 2024 world juniors. “He looks to be a leader here. It’s just steady play. He’s physically ready to play. He’s strong. He’s capable of moving pucks offensively. He’s also capable of being good defensively.”

For as good as Mateychuk is defensively, his offensive prowess gets scouts – and opponents – talking about him.

“I’m glad I’m not (playing against) Wenatchee to deal with that,” Mateychuk’s childhood friend and world junior teammate Conor Geekie said. “He hasn’t been in my ear too much about it. He’s an incredible player.”

Mateychuk received solid reviews at Columbus’ training camp this year. He registered three assists in four games while averaging 20:34, with only veterans Damon Severson and Ivan Provorov playing more. While there was no chance he was sticking with the team after training camp, Mateychuk still stood out, even amongst other top prospects, including David Jiricek and Stanislav Svozil.

“I think anytime you go to camp or development camp or a training camp, you see those guys and who’s coming up and how competitive the players are,” Mateychuk said. “I think it’s something to be excited for and it helps push yourself.”

Those who have watched him closely know exactly why everything is clicking for the 19-year-old.

“(His success) doesn’t surprise me,” said Jordan Dumais, a fellow Columbus draft pick. “He’s so smart on the ice and so smooth. He’s a good skater and a good all-around player. He got drafted high for a reason, and now that he’s here, he will have a big role.”

“His point streak speaks for itself,” added Brayden Yager, Mateychuk’s teammate in Moose Jaw. “Just the consistency. I think a lot of young guys struggle with consistency. He’s done a really good job of doing his thing every single night. He’s a guy I look up to, how he takes care of himself. He’s a good role model and a real good leader.”

Mateychuk didn’t play in Canada’s two exhibition games against USPORTS as the team elected to keep him as healthy as possible. But he did score twice in the first pretournament game against Denmark’s U-25 team after over a week away from game action. Once the event begins, Mateychuk should lead Canada’s top pair while anchoring the first power-play unit.

So expectations will be high. But the 2022 first-rounder is as capable as anyone of handling that pressure. He might not be a household name yet, but fans are going to learn about Denton Mateychuk very, very quickly.

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Will Columbus Blue Jackets’ Denton Mateychuk keep the magic going at world juniors?

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