First, there were injuries. Then there was under-achievement. Then there was disappointment. Then there was a chance. Then there was elation.

Now there are expectations.

The last two years have been quite a ride for Philippe Myers, the 19-year-old from Dieppe, N.B., who forms half of Canada’s top defence pairing, with Thomas Chabot, at the world junior hockey championship.

Myers, in particular, looked outstanding from the start in Canada’s opening win over Russia, setting up the opening goal with creative puck protection and a seeing-eye pass to Dylan Strome. Myers and Chabot give Canada a formidable pair.

“The way they move, the transition,” said Canadian coach Dominique Ducharme, assessing their strengths. “They defend well. Mostly the way they move. They have a good gap on guys. They don’t give much time and space. They have good sticks. They win puck battles. They’re pretty complete.”

Myers, off Hockey Canada’s radar for most of his junior career in the Quebec league, is representing his country for the first time.

“I’ve played many games in my career,” says Myers. “I’m staying humble that way. This is just on a much bigger stage. You have goosebumps. The crowd is loud. You’re just happy to be there, and be on the ice.”

It’s hard to call a 19-year-old a late bloomer, but the arc of Myers’ story fits that bill.

His NHL draft year — 2014-15 — was filled with injuries. The hulking, speedy, crafty defenceman managed just two goals and six assists with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. No one picked him.

“I had a tough season when I was 17,” said Myers. “I was on the third pairing. I didn’t play much. I was going through injuries all year. It didn’t really allow me to play at my full potential.”

But the Philadelphia Flyers saw something — perhaps that six-foot-five, 207-pound frame — and invited him to a tryout.

They appear to have hit paydirt, signing him to a three-year, $1.915-million deal on the strength of that September 2015 camp.

“That felt awesome,” Myers said of his deal. “To prove everybody wrong. A big confidence booster for me. Keep working hard and good things will happen.”

He broke out in the 2015-16 season, scored 17 goals and 28 assists for the Huskies and reached the Memorial Cup final. He was the last junior player cut from the Flyers’ camp in September.

“I’m more trying to figure out how the hell that happened,” Flyers GM Ron Hextall told the South Jersey Courier-Post recently. “How does a kid like this get through the draft? He’s six-foot-five. He’s a right-shot defenceman. I’d like to know how 30 teams passed on him. That’s what I’d like to figure out.

“He’s not a player yet. He’s a good prospect, though.”

Myers is an assistant captain on the Huskies and fits in well with Team Canada. Ducharme stresses puck movement by defencemen, clearing the zone quickly and feeding forwards.

“Our defencemen are good,” said forward Nicolas Roy. “They can join the rush, they can be offensive and they can play defence. They’re very important to us.”

Of course, his breakout season meant he was going to pop up on Hockey Canada’s radar.

When other blue-liners who played at under-18 tournaments failed to make this team, Myers — who last played for Canada East at the under-17s — earned a spot alongside Chabot, who was on the world junior team last year.

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“We came in with an open mind and we let our players battle for spots,” said Ducharme. “We looked at different combinations. Seeing (Myers and Chabot) together, it was obvious to us they would be playing together.”

Myers missed Canada’s summer camp due to injury, and really hadn’t played all that much with Chabot, from the Saint John SeaDogs, until the pre-tournament camp in Boisbriand, Que. But as rivals in the Quebec league, they kind of already knew what the other was capable of.

“We’ve played against each other for three years now,” said Myers. “I’ve gotten to know him. He’s a great guy. I’m excited to be playing with him. He’s a great skater. We have good chemistry right now and we have to keep that going throughout the tournament. I’m really happy with the way we’re playing.”