Projected No.1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Alexis Lafreniere, headlines the list players who have been invited to Canada’s selection camp for the upcoming world junior championship, Hockey Canada announced Monday.
Canada revealed the 31-player contingent that will vie for spots on the team’s under-20 roster at the camp in Oakville, Ont., from Dec. 9 to 12.
The list of invitees was selected by Canada’s head scout Brad McEwen, Shawn Bullock, the director of men’s national teams for Hockey Canada, and Mark Hunter, the U20 lead for Canada’s Program of Excellence management group.
Canadian head coach Dale Hunter, as well as assistants Mitch Love, André Tourigny and Alan Letang also provided input.
There are three returnees from last year’s squad — which was ousted in the quarterfinals at the tournament held on home soil in Vancouver and Victoria — Lafreniere, Jared McIsaac (a second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2018) and Ty Smith (who was taken 17th overall by the New Jersey Devils also in 2018).
They’re joined by Bowen Byram (Colorado Avalanche, fourth overall in 2019), Ty Dellandrea (Dallas Stars, 13th overall in 2018), Liam Foudy (Columbus Blue Jackets, 18th overall in 2018) and Connor McMichael (Washington Capitals, 25th overall in 2019), among others.
“After a long evaluation process through summer camp, the early weeks of the CHL season and the Canada-Russia Series, we are nearing the final steps in selecting the roster that will represent Canada at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship,” said McEwen in a press release.
“We are expecting a highly competitive camp from these 31 players, and we know there will be many difficult decisions when it comes time to select the players who will wear the Maple Leaf in the Czech Republic.”
The 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship kicks off on Boxing Day as Canada faces the U.S.
A full list of invitees to the selection camp can be found here.
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