The last netminder cut from the national team selection camp will be cheering for Canada at the World Junior Championship.
"I'm going to support all the Canadian boys that made that team and I hope they bring home gold," Tyler Bunz told the Gazette Thursday. "I've got some good buddies on that team. They worked real hard for that spot and I know how hard that camp is and how hard you need to work to be part of such a high class and prestigious tournament."
The St. Albert product was sent back to his Western Hockey League team in Medicine Hat after the 22-player roster was finalized Wednesday. Louis Domingue of the Quebec Remparts was also cut from the team.
Mark Visentin, last year's starter from the Niagara IceDogs, and Scott Wedgewood of the Plymouth Whalers will handle the netminding duties for Team Canada.
"It's a tough pill to swallow but at the end of the day I wasn't good enough. They had to make good decisions based on the camp and I just didn't perform the way that I needed to make that team," Bunz said.
Tuesday's exhibition against a line-up of university players was the last chance for the national team hopefuls to impress the coaching staff at the three-day camp in Calgary. Bunz gave up goals on the second and third shots he faced, and stopped four of six overall in Team Canada's 7-4 win.
"I didn't have the game I wanted to that last game but overall I thought my camp went real well. It was a good experience and good exposure," Bunz said.
Tough call to take
A phone call Wednesday morning sealed his fate.
"I kind of expected the call, especially after that last game where I didn't perform the way I needed to secure a spot," Bunz said. "It was just frustrating to know that it's been 19 years of my life to work up to that one point where you have a chance to throw on a Canadian jersey in the biggest tournament really in the world and you just don't perform well so and that was probably the toughest part to handle."
After receiving the bad news he faced a media horde camped out in the hotel lobby.
"It kind of caught me off guard. We had our coach's meeting and right after that they give you a bottle of water and they tell you as soon as you turn this corner there is going to be media. They're going to ask you some questions so just be ready for it," Bunz said. "I wasn't expecting that many cameras and microphones and people to be there. It was pretty overwhelming. Obviously it's not a good thing to be front and centre in that media scrum that early in the morning. It was tough but you just have to handle it maturely. At the end of the day it's going to make you a better person."
Fan support
The former bantam AAA Sabre and midget AAA Raider was grateful for the support he received after the cuts were announced.
"The fan support that I have over Twitter and my friends that texted me and my family that texted me and called me makes a time like this pretty easy. It allows you to move on and know that there are bigger things in the world. It was just a little minor speed bump that's going to be in your way and you've just got to get over it," said the Greater St. Albert Sports Academy alumni who attended Team Canada's summer development camp at Rexall Place.
The Edmonton Oilers' fifth-round draft pick, 121st overall, in 2010 also felt the love from fans of the NHL team.
"They weren't too impressed I got cut but they didn't see the camp and they didn't see how Wedgewood played. He really stood out at camp and really earned that spot," Bunz said. "They were pretty supportive in telling me to keep going, that I still have the NHL to worry about and I'm going to have a long career. Things like that definitely do help you, especially [Wednesday] on an emotional day like that."
Emotional day
Later that night Bunz turned a negative into a positive by backstopping Medicine Hat to a 5-2 win over the Red Deer Rebels. He stopped 33 shots to improve his record to 18-8-2-2.
"I didn't know if I was actually going to play [Wednesday] night in Medicine Hat, but as soon as I got there and saw the support and knowing that there are thousands of people still behind you gives you that extra motivation so I decided that I would play, even if I didn't have a real good sleep the night before. To go out there and play for your team I thought would be the most mature thing to do," he said. "We actually got the win so it was a good way to end a very emotional day."
Bunz's 2.55 GAA ranks sixth overall in the WHL. He has two shutouts and a save percentage of .923 in his fourth season in Medicine Hat. In 166 career games, his record is 94-46-9-9 with seven shutouts.
ICE CHIPS: The St. Albert Raiders Hockey Club was also represented at the 41-player selection camp by defenceman Brenden Kichton of Spruce Grove. Kichton and Bunz were teammates on the midget AAA Raiders in 2007/08.
Kichton, 19, a fourth-year WHL player with the Spokane Chiefs, was drafted by the New York Islanders in the fifth round, 127th overall, in 2011.
Last season Kichton scored 23 goals and was third in team scoring with 81 points in 64 games. He has six goals and 24 assists in 28 games this season.
The first game for Team Canada at worlds is Boxing Day against Finland at 1:30 p.m. at Rexall Place. Canada will also play the Czech Republic on Dec. 28, Denmark on Dec. 29 and the United States on Dec. 31. Game times are 6 p.m. at Rexall Place.
The gold-medal game is Jan. 5 in Calgary.
