Top 5 Blues Players at the 2024 World Championships

Overall, Hayes was a great selection and will bring his size to the front of the net with his 6-foot-5 frame. The only issue is that he tends to be an inconsistent scorer. He’s not a shoot-first player but a team-first player, and the team will benefit from his ability to crash the net and create offensive opportunities. He can also play both center and right-wing and won 57 percent of his faceoffs this season, which ranked third on the Blues.

3. Joel Hofer (Canada)

Joel Hofer was named to Team Canada for the second consecutive year. Last year, he finished with a record of 1-1-0, a .925 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.46 goals-against average (GAA) through two games. In his last two IIHF tournaments, he’s kept his save percentage above .920 and his goals-against average below 1.50.

On the Blues, Hofer finished this season with a record of 15-12-1, a .914 SV%, a 2.65 GAA, and one shutout through 30 games. With a poor defensive effort in front of him this season, there was a lot of pressure on Hofer, facing the league’s eight most shots against (32.1). Regardless of the team’s performance, he could form a tandem with Blues starting goalie Jordan Binnington next season.

Hopefully, with Hofer’s outstanding international success and a more skilled group of defensemen in front of him, he will win his third gold medal through three international tournament appearances.

2. Colton Parayko (Canada)

Colton Parayko will represent Canada at this tournament for the third time. His last two appearances were in 2017 and 2018. In his last World Championship appearance, he scored eight points in 10 games and finished as the top goalscoring defenceman of the tournament with four goals. In 2017, he made the World Championship All-Star Team, won Most Goals by Defenseman with three goals (seven points through six games), and was a silver medal winner with Team Canada.

Parayko has been one of the more reliable defensemen in international play, which is why his place on this team is no surprise. I expect him to have another great tournament. Although he hasn’t played in an international tournament for six years, he’s gained considerable NHL playoff experience, including winning the Stanley Cup in 2019.

Parayko wasn’t as offensively dominant this season for the Blues; however, his defensive skills were a boost to the lineup. In 82 games, he had the most blocks in the league (218) and 115 hits. He also scored 10 goals and 26 points – a career-high in goals. Overall, he is a solid, gritty defenseman who can protect the front of the net, and he has a lot of other outstanding defensemen in the league to pair with in this tournament.

1. Jordan Binnington (Canada)

It’s been 12 years since Jordan Binnington participated in an IIHF tournament, the last of which was the 2013 World Junior Championship. Binnington will likely be Team Canada’s starter (he is also expected to be a candidate to make Team Canada for the NHL’s Four Nations Faceoff tournament in February 2025).

Binnington’s numbers were decent this season. He was the reliable starting option for the Blues, playing 57 games. He posted a record of 28-21-5 with a .913 SV%, a 2.84 GAA, and three shutouts. He faced the fourth-most shots against in the league (1786) and made the fourth-most saves (1630).

Having Binnington and Hofer on Team Canada could improve their chemistry for next season and give Binnington more international experience. If Binnington performs well in this tournament, it could be a shot at considering him for a more prominent international tournament such as the 2026 Winter Olympics.