via Last Word on Hockey, by Charlie Clarke (Associate Editor)
Hockey Canada announced Tuesday morning the 32 players who have been invited to selection camp for the 2017 World Junior Championship, which will begin December 11 in Blainville, Que.
2017 Canada World Junior Camp Roster Announced
The team’s preliminary list is comprised of three goaltenders, 10 defencemen, and 19 forwards. Nine players come from both the OHL and QMJHL, with 12 from the WHL. Two players, Tyson Jost and Dante Fabbro, play college hockey in the NCAA.
The roster is highlighted by 2015 first-round picks like Dylan Strome and Mathew Barzal, as well as highly-touted draft-eligible prospect Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Five players on the current selection roster are returning from last year’s team, with Barzal and Strome joined by Thomas Chabot, Julien Gauthier, and Mitchell Stephens.
The selection camp in Quebec will run until December 14. Canada will play a pair of games against a U Sports All-Star team as well as the Czech Republic to assist in the decision-making process, before making final cuts to the roster. They will shave the current list down to 22 players before ramping up preparations for the tournament proper.
The World Junior Championship will take place this year in Toronto and Montreal, with Canada’s first game on Boxing Day at the Air Canada Centre against Russia. They will be looking to improve on last year’s result at the World Juniors, where they finished third in their group and were eliminated in the quarterfinals by eventual champions Finland.
Full Selection Camp Roster:
Goaltenders:
Carter Hart – Everett Silvertips (WHL)
Connor Ingram – Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
Michael McNiven – Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
Defencemen:
Jake Bean – Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
Guillaume Brisebois – Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL)
Thomas Chabot – Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Kale Klague – Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Dante Fabbro – Boston University (NCAA)
Samuel Girard – Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)
Noah Juulsen – Everett Silvertips (WHL)
Jeremy Lauzon – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
Victor Mete – London Knights (OHL)
Philippe Myers – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
Forwards:
Mathew Barzal – Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Anthony Cirelli – Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Dillon Dube – Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Pierre-Luc Dubois – Cape Breton (QMJHL)
Julien Gauthier – Val d’Or Foreurs (QMJHL)
Brett Howden – Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
Mathieu Joseph – Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Tyson Jost – North Dakota (NCAA)
Michael McLeod – Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)
Nick Merkley – Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Nolan Patrick – Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Taylor Raddysh – Erie Otters (OHL)
Nicolas Roy – Chicoutimi Saugeneens (QMJHL)
Zach Senyshyn – Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
Blake Speers – Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
Sam Steel – Regina Pats (WHL)
Mitchell Stephens – Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Dylan Strome – Erie Otters (OHL)
Austin Wagner – Regina Pats (WHL)
Main Photo: OTTAWA, CANADA – OCTOBER 18: Thomas Chabot #72 of the Ottawa Senators skates against the Arizona Coyotes during his first career NHL game at Canadian Tire Centre on October 18, 2016 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Francois Laplante/FreestylePhoto/Getty Images)
