London Knights captain set to seize second shot at world junior team

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Denver Barkey was one of the last cuts for last year’s Canadian world junior hockey team.

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He gets a do-over next week.

“I’m fortunate to get that opportunity again and I’ll put my best foot forward to make the team,” the London Knights captain said. “I’m just going to play my game with a little bit of a chip on the shoulder mentality with something to prove. You only have a couple of days to make a team and every little meeting, you want to be prepared and show what you can do.”

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He will attend the Ottawa camp with three Knights mates – Easton Cowan, Sam Dickinson and Oliver Bonk. Cowan and Bonk were on the team that was upset in the quarterfinal round by Czechia in Sweden.

Barkey is fast enough to play at the international under-20 level and also brings his winning pedigree, competitiveness, work ethic and ability to play bigger than his 5-foot-9, 154-pound frame.

“You have to win battles and get in the corners, which will help me stick out from others,” the Flyers prospect said. “The (exhibition) games against (Canadian university players), I’ll be a bit more comfortable against them now after last year.

“I’m heavier and stronger now, a little older, and you need to work hard against them to get scoring chances.”

A return invite to camp was no guarantee. Barkey missed London and Philadelphia’s training camp while recovering from mononucleosis. He has that early hurdle in common with Erie star defenceman Matthew Schaefer, a potential NHL first overall pick who will also be trying out for Hockey Canada.

“You miss out on games and practices and fall behind everyone else,” Barkey said. “I wasn’t working out for a bit and lost weight. I had to spend a lot of time in the gym to get it back. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to feel 100 per cent right away. It’s taken a bit longer than I thought.

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“I’m starting to feel 100 per cent again and back to Denver Barkey (on the ice).”

Barkey had 35 goals and 102 points last season. But once he returned from sick bay in October, he struggled out of the gate and was well below his usual scoring pace.

In one game against Guelph, he rattled three pucks off the post on one shift and the frustration was palpable.

“It comes down to reps and the more games you play, the more you get comfortable,” he said. “I was rusty. Everything felt off.”

Barkey has been a big part of London’s incredible winning streak the past few weeks. He missed a home game against Ottawa due to injury, but worked his way back in the lineup in time for the eastern Ontario swing.

He capped it with a five-point outing against Ottawa and Canadian world junior coach Dave Cameron.

“It shows how much he’s grown up, his character and why he’s the captain,” London assistant coach Rick Steadman said. “You have mono, it takes your lungs away. You’re not working out as much and even when you’re skating, it’s not the same. It’s a process and he didn’t get frustrated by it.

“It takes a lot of mental toughness to watch everybody else’s points climb and your points are going nowhere. He’s coming out of it now and starting to get rewarded.”

Did he get back to his elite level in time?

Barkey will find out soon enough in Ottawa.

rpyette@postmedia.com

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