Warsofsky warns of problems that could come with sending Dickinson to World Juniors
SAN JOSE – The Sharks on Wednesday officially loaned center Michael Misa to the Canadian National Junior Team for the upcoming under-20 World Championships. Now it’s a matter of whether they’ll allow defenseman Sam Dickinson to join him.
Dickinson was not on Canada’s World Juniors training camp roster released on Dec. 8, but the team is leaving roster spots open for players currently in the NHL.
Dickinson, 19, has three points in 26 games with the Sharks this season and is averaging 14:48 in ice time per game, mainly as a third-pair defenseman.
Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said he and general manager Mike Grier have discussed loaning Dickinson to the Canadian team but haven’t finalized a decision. The Canadian team’s training camp ends on Dec. 22, and its first game of the tournament, which is being held in Minnesota, is on Dec. 26 against Czechia.
Warsofsky said there would be positives to sending Dickinson to the event, but also mentioned some drawbacks.
“I think you want to continue to preach the habits that we need to play with at this level, and I think you can get away with some things when you play down a level,” Warsofsky said Wednesday.
“That’s no disrespect to the World Juniors or the (Ontario Hockey League), but when you’re the best player, sometimes you can create some bad habits, and we’re trying to get those bad habits away from him.”
Dickinson, a Toronto native, played in last year’s World Junior Championship in Ottawa, where the Canadian team lost to Czechia in the quarterfinals. The American team, which included Sharks draft pick Brandon Svoboda, won the Gold Medal for the second straight year.
The Canadian team is coached by Dale Hunter, Dickinson’s coach with the London Knights from 2022 to 2025.
Asked if he’d like to have another chance at winning gold, Dickinson said, “Anytime you get the chance to go play for Team Canada, wherever it is, it’s an honor, and you’re always really proud of the opportunity that’s there. But like I’ve said, it’s a win-win. There’s not a better league or better competition, or anything better than what’s here in the NHL.”
Dickinson was a healthy scratch for the Sharks’ 6-3 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday and it remains unclear whether he’ll play in Thursday’s game against the Dallas Stars at SAP Center.
“Just a little bit of a reset here,” Warsofsky said of scratching Dickinson. “A lot has been thrown on his plate. This is a fast game, and it’s a tough position to play at 19, and there’s a lot coming at you.
“We obviously think the world (of Dickinson). He’s a really good player. Just needs a little reset.”
Misa, 18, is expected to play a significant role for the Canadian team, which also lost in the quarterfinals in 2024. Before that, Sharks center Zack Ostapchuk helped Canada win gold at the 2022 and 2023 tournaments. Barracuda defenseman Jack Thompson was also on the 2022 Canadian team.
Misa was expected to be in Kitchener, Ontario, on Wednesday to watch Canada’s exhibition game against Sweden and join the team for practice on Thursday.
“I think it’s awesome for him,” Ostapchuk said of Misa. “Obviously, he’s going to be a key player on that team; he’s going to be kind of driving the bus. So I think for him to get that experience, and hopefully — Canada hasn’t done too great the last couple years — if he can bring the gold back home, I think that’d be pretty cool for him. It’s just a great experience.”
Goalie Josh Ravensbergen, a Sharks first-round pick earlier this year, is also on Canada’s training camp roster. Center Cole McKinney, a 2025 second-round pick, was named to the U.S. National Junior Team’s preliminary roster, goalie Christian Kirsch has been named to Switzerland’s World Junior team, and the Sharks organization expects defenseman Leo Sahlin Wallenius to be on Sweden’s roster.
WARSOFSKY ON SMITH
Warsofsky once again said that Will Smith will be reevaluated on Monday, adding that surgery for the second-year Sharks forward has not been discussed.
Asked if that means that surgery has been ruled out, Warsofsky reiterated, “We’ll evaluate it on Monday.”
Smith, 20, appeared to sustain an upper-body injury during Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He and fellow forward Philipp Kurashev, also injured Saturday, were placed on IR on Monday. Kurashev is considered week-to-week.
CHERNYSHOV IMPRESSES
Rookie winger Igor Chernyshov was back on Macklin Celebrini’s line for Wednesday’s practice after he collected his first point in his Sharks and NHL debut the night before.
Chernyshov, 20, had an assist on Celebrini’s dazzling spin-o-rama goal in the third period that gave the Sharks a 4-2 lead. He also had a shot on net in the second period after he wheeled around Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson and finished with 12:20 in ice time.
“He did not look overwhelmed by the pace of the game, and that can be a big step for guys got to come up from the American League, especially guys that only played 20 whatever games for the Cuda there,” Warsofsky said.
“He’s a hockey player. You look at him, he’s one of the first guys in the building. He works on his game. He’s got a really good passion for the game. He wants to play in the NHL. That’s his dream, just like every kid, but I think you could just see it through his pores, in a sense. He’s a hockey player through and through.”