Canada’s McLeod to step in for injured Stephens at world junior hockey champs

TORONTO — Dylan Strome and Michael McLeod hope the chemistry formed during road hockey games on the streets of Lorne Park in Mississauga, Ont., will translate on the ice at the world junior championships.

With Mitchell Stephens sidelined due to an ankle injury suffered during the second period of Tuesday’s 5-0 win over Slovakia, McLeod, Canada’s 13th forward to begin the tournament, was expected to fill the void alongside Strome and Pierre-Luc Dubois on Thursday night against Latvia.

“Me and Mikey played on the same (minor hockey) team for three or four years, played together a bit, a lot of road hockey games so it’s going to be pretty exciting,” said Strome, the Coyotes prospect. “He’s matured a lot, I think. If you knew the Mikey in the old days, you’d kind of laugh at what he was saying.

“We’d always joke around, I think he’s really matured. Big credit to his play on the ice, he’s the captain of his team in the OHL and it’s a big accomplishment in your third year. That says a lot about him.”

McLeod, the New Jersey Devils’ 2016 first-round pick, had one goal through the first two games of the tournament.

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In 26 OHL games with the Mississauga Steelheads, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound forward scored six goals and 28 points prior to joining Team Canada.

“He knows what to expect. We have a way of playing. He uses his tools, he’s fast, he’s on the puck, he’s playing simple,” said Team Canada coach Dominique Ducharme. “I think he’s going to be doing a fine job with them.

“One good thing with him is he can be playing in the middle, he can be playing on the wing, he’s good on face-offs, he can kill penalties. He’s useful. He’s an important part of our team.”

Stephens, a Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick, is considered day-to-day. Following Thursday’s game, Canada doesn’t play again until Saturday when they play the U.S. to conclude the preliminary round.

McLeod, a top-line player with his OHL club, was well prepared for his role by Team Canada’s coaching staff prior to the tournament.

“They told me to be prepared starting out as the 13th forward, they said anything could happen in the lineup, and I’m ready to go,” McLeod said. “I knew if I was going to make the team, I was probably going to start off in that role and I’m completely OK with it.”

Note: Carter Hart, who made 14 saves in Canada’s 5-3 win over Russia on Monday, was slated to start in goal against Latvia.

Dhiren Mahiban , The Canadian Press