After a month-long selection camp that included a two-week quarantine period, Hockey Canada has finally made their final cuts and announced the roster that will be competing at the upcoming World Junior Championship. The event starts in two weeks in Edmonton, Alberta and will host teams from all over the world. The best junior-aged players will compete for gold in a year unlike any other.
Because the NHL has not started yet, players like Kirby Dach and Quinton Byfield will get the chance to compete for Canada at the end of 2020. Dach missed the tournament a year ago thanks to his commitments with the Chicago Blackhawks but should be a leader this year at the tournament. Byfield meanwhile will get a chance to convince the world that his struggles at the event last year were not indicative of his talent, while trying to add a second gold to his trophy cabinet.
Canada’s roster is loaded up front, with incredible offensive talent all the way to the final forward spot. But perhaps their defense too will be a force with names like Bowen Byram and Jamie Drysdale leading the way. In net, somewhat unheralded prospects will get the chance to prove they are winners, with Taylor Gauthier the only undrafted player on the final roster.
The full roster is as follows:
F Kirby Dach (CHI)
F Connor Zary (CGY)
F Dylan Holloway (EDM)
F Cole Perfetti (WPG)
F Jakob Pelletier (CGY)
F Alex Newhook (COL)
F Ryan Suzuki (CAR)
F Connor McMichael (WSH)
F Peyton Krebs (VGK)
F Quinton Byfield (LAK)
F Dawson Mercer (NJD)
F Dylan Cozens (BUF)
F Philip Tomasino (NSH)
F Jack Quinn (BUF)
D Braden Schneider (NYR)
D Kaedan Korczak (VGK)
D Bowen Byram (COL)
D Thomas Harley (DAL)
D Jamie Drysdale (ANA)
D Jordan Spence (LAK)
D Kaiden Guhle (MTL)
D Justin Barron (COL)
G Devon Levi (FLA)
G Taylor Gauthier (undrafted, eligible for 2021)
G Dylan Garand (NYR)
This means that Mavrik Bourque, Samuel Poulin, Donovan Sebrango, Ryan O’Rourke, Jamieson Rees, Seth Jarvis, Graeme Clarke, Gage Goncalves, and Lukas Cormier were the team’s final cuts.
That is one damn stacked forward group, especially considering they had to cut guys like Jarvis and Poulin.
if thy can keep that line up going all tournament then Canada’s got this in the bag
No Trona players. Has a chance.
Thank god for that. Thats all we would we have to hear about is that one player
This team is STACKED.
The USA’s only real hope to win glory is their goalies who can carry a team and steal games. Hoping there’s some thievery, but I don’t expect it.
Jamieson Rees had a helluva camp. His cut makes little sense to me. Oh well. Still an exceptional skating unit. Goaltending will be the obvious question mark.
No Leafs at all….they’re too busy drafting Russians and Swedes to give Canadian kids a chance. But the analytics tell them this is the way. All their playoff success is proof. SMH Ballard must be rolling in his grave. Time to jettison the kid, he’s in way over his head. End the experiment Shanahan before he costs you your job too.
Bro I hate the leafs but this is an awful take. You take the best player available, you don’t draft a worse player based on where the player is from. This is especially true for them, because it’s really not that long ago when they got burned by North American kids like Biggs, Gauthier, and Percy.
Nylander is basically canadian (born in Calgary), Marner and JT are both Ontario kids, Rielly Muzzin, Robertson, Spezza, Thornton, Simmonds, Dermott, Brodie and Hyman are all canadian. so whats that 3 of their top 4 D and around half their forwards are Canadian, but hey they drafted a 2 Swedish kids who played in the ohl the last 3 years and a russian kid who was instantly tabbed as being a steal of the draft. but ya they dont draft canadians
Robertson is American but still my point stands
lol @ the notion of Harold Ballard giving two expletives about the quality of the on-ice product.