Unlike Juraj Slafkovsky, who remained with the Montreal Canadiens last winter, Shane Wright, the fourth overall pick in the 2022 draft, was able to help Team Canada win the World Junior Championship held in Halifax.
This enriching experience likely aided the captain's development, as he performed well, scoring four goals and three assists in seven games.
However, although he is still eligible to participate in this significant tournament this year, Seattle Kraken's GM Ron Francis quickly tempered the hopes of Canadian fans. He indicated that it would be highly unlikely to see Shane Wright wear Team Canada's uniform in Sweden this year.
Ron Francis said, "For me, he's already been through that, so I don't see why he would be part of the World Junior Championship this year. I think that's in the past for him!"
Starting the year in the American League, the 19-year-old earned a recall to the Kraken thanks to solid performances with the Valleyfield Firebirds (6 points in 7 games). However, since his return to the NHL, Wright has not accumulated any points in three games, currently playing on the fourth line with Tye Kartie and Ryan Winterton.
