Hockey Canada on Monday announced its 25-man roster for the 2022 World Junior Championships, which will be played in Edmonton, Alta. from August 9 to 20.
The annual tournament, originally scheduled to take place from Dec. 26, 2021, to Jan. 5, 2022, in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta., was canceled after just three days due to an increase in variant cases of Omicron of COVID-19 among the 10. participating teams.
There will be some changes from the previous list announced in December. Missing from the squad are forwards Xavier Bourgault, Mavrik Bourque, Dylan Guenther, Jake Neighbors, Cole Perfetti, Justin Sourdif, Shane Wright and defensemen Kaiden Guhle and Owen Power.
Replacing these players are forwards William Dufour, Joshua Roy, Tyson Foerster, Riley Kidney, Nathan Gaucher, Brennan Othmann, Zack Ostapchuk and defensemen Daemon Hunt and Jack Thompson.
Highlighting Canada’s roster will be 17-year-old phenom Connor Bedard, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson and Anaheim Ducks prospect Mason McTavish.
Before the cancellation in December, Canadian fans were treated to a four-goal performance from a 16-year-old Bedard against Austria, becoming just the sixth player to score four goals in a Junior World Cup game. McTavish dominated the first two games of the tournament scoring three goals and five points in two games, while Johnson also had a goal in two games.
Canada will be in Group A, which also consists of Slovakia, Finland, Czech Republic and Latvia. Group B will include the United States, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and Austria.
Russia was not invited to the tournament due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and was replaced by Latvia.
GOALKEEPER Sebastian Cossa 6’6″ 215 Edmonton (WHL) Brett Brochu 6’0″ 176 London (OHL) Dylan Garand 6’1″ 181 Kamloops (WHL) DEFENSE Daemon Hunt 6’1″ 198 Moose Jaw (WHL) Olen Zellweger 5 ’10” 175 Everett (WHL) Carson Lambos 6’1” 197 Winnipeg (WHL) Lukas Cormier 5’10” 176 Charlottetown (QMJHL) Donovan Sebrango 6’2” 195 Grand Rapids (AHL) Ronan Seeley 6’1” 192 Everett (WHL) Jack Thompson 6’1″ 185 Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) Ryan O’Rourke 6’0″ 174 Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) FORWARDS Joshua Roy 6’0′ 191 Sherbrooke (QMJHL) Logan Stankoven 5’8” 170 Kamloops (WHL) Tyson Foerster 6’1” 202 Barrie (OHL) Riley Kidney 5’11” 173 Acadie-QMJHL (WHL ) ) Kent Johnson 6’1″ 165 Columbus (NHL) Nathan Gaucher 6’3″ 207 Quebec (QMJHL) Brennan Othmann 6’0″ 180 Flint (OHL) Connor Bedard 5’9″ 181 Regina (WHL) Ridly Greig 6’0 ” 172 Brandon (WHL) William Dufour 6’3” 205 Saint John (QMJHL) Elliot Desnoyers 5’11” 172 Halifax (QMJHL) Zack Ostapchuk 6’3” 198 Vancouver (WHL) Will Cuylle 6’4” 210 Windsor (OHL) ) Mason McTavish 6’1” 207 Hamilton (OHL)