Sam Dickinson is set to further his growth in the NHL as the San Jose Sharks decided to keep him with the team instead of loaning him to Canada’s national junior squad for the World Junior Championship. Drafted 11th overall by the Sharks in the 2024 NHL Draft, Dickinson, 19, who could have played for Canada in the renowned tournament, will continue his season with San Jose. This year, he has played in 27 out of 36 games, tallying one goal and two assists, and averages nearly 15 minutes of ice time per game, including an impressive 17 minutes and 33 seconds in a recent game against the Seattle Kraken.
Initially, Sharks’ general manager Mike Grier and head coach Ryan Warsowski debated whether sending Dickinson to Team Canada would benefit his development. However, Coach Warsowski showed reservations about returning him to junior hockey, emphasizing the importance of cultivating strong habits at the NHL level. Dickinson previously participated in the 2023 World Junior Championship with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, who won the Memorial Cup under coach Dale Hunter, the current coach of Team Canada.
The Sharks have eight healthy defensemen on their roster, with Vincent Desharnais sidelined due to an upper-body injury. The World Junior Championship will take place in Minnesota from December 26 to January 5, featuring several Sharks prospects representing their countries. These include center Michael Misa (Canada), defenseman Leo Sarlin Wallenius (Sweden), and goalie Christian Kirsch (Switzerland). Misa, the Sharks’ second overall pick in June, will join Wallenius and Kirsch, both 2024 draft selections, on their respective national teams.
Additionally, goaltender Josh Ravensbergen, another first-round pick this year, is training with Team Canada, though the final 25-man roster is yet to be announced. Center Cole McKinney, a second-round pick, remains on Team USA’s reserve roster. The Sharks are set to face the Las Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday, with the interview scheduled for 9 pm local time.
Fan Take: This decision highlights the Sharks’ confidence in Dickinson’s readiness to compete at the NHL level and signals a growing trend of young talent being developed directly in the pros. For hockey fans, it’s exciting to see promising players gaining early NHL experience, which could raise the overall competitiveness and quality of the sport.
