Team Canada announces star-studded World Junior selection camp roster
It’s World Junior season.
Hockey Canada has named the 34 players who have earned an invitation to Canada’s National Junior Selection Camp, taking place Dec. 11-14 in Victoria, B.C.
The roster includes three goaltenders, 12 defencemen and 19 forwards. There two returnees from the team that won World Juniors gold last year are Maxime Comtois (Drummondville, QMJHL) and Alex Formenton (London, OHL).
Rimouski Oceanic superstar forward Alexis Lafreniere is the lone 2001-born player on the roster. He’s racked up 46 points (16 goals) in 28 games this season and is considered the frontrunner to be the first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft. He would be the first 17-year-old since Connor McDavid to make the World Juniors team.
Here’s a look at the roster, courtesy of TSN:
Prospects representing Canada’s NHL teams are goaltenders Michael DiPietro (VAN) and Ian Scott (TOR), defencemen Jacob Bernard-Docker (OTT), Evan Bouchard (EDM) and Josh Brook (MTL) along with forwards Alex Formenton (OTT) and Nick Suzuki (MTL).
There are 16 NHL first-round picks on the preliminary roster, including Los Angeles Kings prospect Gabriel Vilardi, who is on a conditioning stint in the AHL and being loaned to selection camp.
The final roster is expected to be named on Dec. 14. Team Canada will play three preliminary games from Dec. 19-23, and then begin the actual tournament against Denmark on Boxing Day in Vancouver.