(Calgary) Junior Team Canada officials announced their roster on Sunday evening for the World Junior Championships which gets underway later in December.
Cole Perfetti, who has more than 50 professional games to his name, and Connor Bedard, who becomes the seventh player to be named to the Canadian team at the age of 16, were among the 25 chosen.
There will be four QMJHL players on the team: forwards Mavrik Bourque and Xavier Bourgault (Shawinigan Cataractes), forward Elliot Desnoyers (Halifax Mooseheads) and defenseman Lukas Cormier (Charlottetown Islanders).
“It’s going to be a competitive team, we’re going to try to play fast, we’re going to be a team with a lot of energy, we’re going to be a team that plays with a lot of discipline,” said Canadian head coach Dave Cameron.
Bedard joins Wayne Gretzky (1978), Eric Lindros (1990), Jason Spezza and Jay Bouwmeester (2000), Sidney Crosby (2004) and Connor McDavid (2014) among those who donned the Canadian uniform at the age of 16 .
Forward Shane Wright, who was released from selection camp a year ago at 16, has earned a spot on the squad this time around.
Dylan Garand, Brett Brochu and Sebastian Cossa were the only goalkeepers invited to the selection camp, which secured their place on the squad.
Among the forwards, we also find Will Cuylle, Ridly Greig, Dylan Guenther, Kent Johnson, Mason McTavish, Jake Neighbors, Justin Sourdif and Logan Stankoven.
Kaiden Guhle, Carson Lambos, Olen Zellweger, Ronan Seeley, Donovan Sebrango, Owen Power, Ryan O’Rourke and Lukas Cormier will be Canada’s defenders.
Although no current NHL player has joined Canada’s roster, Hockey Canada’s first vice-president of national teams, Scott Salmond, said the door remains open until Wednesday.
Defender Vincent Iorio and forwards Zach Dean, William Dufour, Luke Evangelista, Jack Finley, Joshua Roy, Hendrix Lapierre and Ryan Tverberg were released on Sunday. Defender Daemon Hunt was unable to continue due to injury.
“I don’t remember seeing so many guys in previous camps I’ve been to which says a lot about Canadian hockey and the depth we have here,” Cameron said on Sunday before the players were released. .
“It makes our job a little more difficult, but these are tough decisions that you love. Competition brings out the best in players. ”