Victoria Royals forward Keanu Derungs will play for Switzerland’s National Junior Team for the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship.
The annual international tournament starts on Christmas day and will conclude on January 5, 2021 in Edmonton, AB. Switzerland begins the tournament on Friday versus Slovakia. They are in Group A alongside Canada, Finland, Germany and Slovakia.
Derungs joins Joe Hicketts (Canada 2015 & 2016), Igor Martynov (Belarus 2018) and Phillip Schultz (Denmark, 2019), as the only Royals’ players to represent their country at the World Junior Championships.
The 18-year old forward is currently playing for EVZ Academy in the Swiss League (Switzerland’s second division), on loan from the Royals. In 16 games with EVZ, Derungs has registered three assists.
Last year, the product of Ilanz, Switzerland played in his first season in the WHL with Victoria and recorded 29 points (15g-14a) in 57 games. This past summer, Derungs was named the Royals’ Rookie of the Year for the 2019-20 season.
Throughout multiple international tournaments during the 2018-19 season, Derungs suited up in 16 games for Switzerland’s Under-17 team and collected three goals and six assists.
The 5-11, 168 lb winger was selected by the Royals with the 28th overall pick in the 2019 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft.
