Team Canada performed very well during the 2017 World Junior Championships, each game different players stepped up. However there was one player that, in my opinion and many others, stepped up and dominated play in every game. That player was Thomas Chabot. That is why I chose him for the player article in this magazine.

 

During the world juniors Chabot was the most exciting player in the tournament, he was always jumping up into the rush and making plays. It seemed like every time he was on the ice there was a scoring opportunity or a big defensive shut down. If he can play this way in the NHL, there is no doubt that he is on his way to multiple All-Star appearances, several Norris trophys, potentially a Hart trophy, and most definitely an induction into the Hockey Hall Of Fame. My best guess is that Chabot, in a few years, will be playing alongside Senators captain, Erik Karlsson, who will be a great role model for Chabot in his early years in the NHL. Next year, will most likely be Chabot’s first season in the pros, and it will be very interesting to see what he does and how he will fair against some of the league’s top players. If Chabot plays the way he can play he should do just fine in the big leagues.

 

Being a defenceman myself, Chabot is a very inspiring to watch and throughout the World Juniors, I learned a lot from him, the way he plays is exactly the way I want to play, and I’m sure many other young defencemen look up to him like that as well. I think that Chabot is comparable to Erik Karlsson or maybe Brent Burns, as they all have the offensive touch to make plays, but they’re also steady and tough on the defensive side of things. Chabot makes more plays than he finishes, as he has always had a lot more assists than goals. But it shows he is a very unselfish and creative player in the offensive zone. If teams match Chabot with their weaker lines such as their 3rd or 4th line, to get him away from their better forwards, they are gravely mistaken, because he will make them pay. Chabot is that player who can carry a team for a game, and step up in a big way when nobody else is willing. Hopefully we will get to see him with the Canadian flag on his chest again in the Olympics, or maybe the world championships, and get that gold medal. Who knows? Maybe one day we will even get to see him hoist the Stanley Cup. But for now, let’s just say the future is very bright for Thomas Chabot.