Jaden Schwartz goes to world juniors looking for redemption

The giant chip on Jaden Schwartz’s shoulder is there for a reason. The Colorado College left wing wanted to represent his country before a “freak” injury forced his dreams on hold.

Most times in international hockey, there aren’t second chances. For Schwartz, the rare opportunity at redemption comes this month, when he starts play for Canada at the world junior championships in Calgary and Edmonton, a year after he broke his left ankle.

Schwartz plans to miss five CC games following Friday’s tilt against Alaska-Anchorage at World Arena, leaving Saturday for a training camp that precedes three exhibitions and as many as seven tournament games. Canada is favored in a pool that includes the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland and the U.S., with 2011 champion Russia in another group.

Six Western Collegiate Hockey Association players dot the U.S. roster, offering plenty of motivation for Schwartz, who paces the No. 6 Tigers with 12 assists and is tied with his older brother, Rylan, with 17 points. He went down in his second game last year at world juniors, then Canada settled for a silver medal, then he was sidelined for 15 CC games.

“Last year was tough,” said Schwartz, who will return to CC for a Jan. 6-7 series against Cornell. “You wish you could contribute in some way or help out. It was a tough way to go out. This year, you want to make the best of it, and you want to stay healthy. … I feel very lucky and fortunate to get a second opportunity. A lot of guys don’t get that.”

After Friday, CC will retool a top line that features Rylan Schwartz at center and William Rapuzzi at right wing. And the Tigers also must fill Jaden Schwartz’s position on the top power-play unit, likely sliding Rylan Schwartz into that spot, then possibly filling Rylan Schwartz’s opening with Alexander Krushelnyski, the hero last week against Denver.

“We do have some depth. But top-end depth? We don’t have a lot,” said CC coach Scott Owens, who will lose right wing Scott Winkler, a Norwegian, for a Dec. 16-17 series at Minnesota State-Mankato as he heads to a different tournament in Slovenia. “It’s going to be challenging. In the long run, it will give other players the opportunity to step up.”

“You can’t depend on someone else anymore to get the job done. You kind of just have to go do it yourself,” Rylan Schwartz said, adding that “when players get called upon to do different things, they get their confidence back a little bit. Just like the Penguins, when (Sidney) Crosby was out. Their whole team stepped it up big time.”

Jaden Schwartz hopes he comes back with a medal. Of course, only one color will do. “In Canada, there are high expectations every year,” Schwartz said. “At the same time, it’s a process. You want to get better every day, and you want to improve each game to give yourself a chance to win the gold. I think everyone’s expectation is to go there and win.”

Contact Brian Gomez: 719-636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazette.com. Twitter: @gazetteolympics. Facebook: Brian Gomez. For the Colorado College hockey homepage, visit www.gazette.com/cchockey. For the CC hockey blog, visit http://cchockey.freedomblogging.com.