Team Canada Announces World Junior Selection Camp Roster
The World Junior Championship begins at the end of this month in Vancouver, and over the next few weeks countries will be deciding exactly who will be donning the sweater for them at the international tournament. Today, Team Canada revealed their selection camp roster of 33 players which will be whittled down to 23 by December 14th. The group includes many prospects that have already been drafted, and even a few that have already made their NHL debuts.
The full selection camp roster is as follows, with their respective NHL teams in parenthesis:
G Michael DiPietro (VAN)
G Ian Scott (TOR)
G Matthew Villalta (LAK)
D Calen Addison (PIT)
D Nicolas Beaudin (CHI)
D Jacob Bernard-Docker (OTT)
D Evan Bouchard (EDM)
D Josh Brook (MTL)
D Cameron Crotty (ARI)
D Noah Dobson (NYI)
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph (ARI)
D Jared McIsaac (DET)
D Ian Mitchell (CHI)
D Markus Phillips (LAK)
D Ty Smith (NJD)
F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (LAK)
F Shane Bowers (COL)
F Maxime Comtois (ANA)
F Ty Dellandrea (DAL)
F MacKenzie Entwistle (CHI)
F Alex Formenton (OTT)
F Liam Foudy (CBJ)
F Morgan Frost (PHI)
F Cody Glass (VGK)
F Barrett Hayton (ARI)
F Alexis Lafreniere (2020 eligible)
F Raphael Lavoie (2019 eligible)
F Brett Leason (2019 eligible)
F Isaac Ratcliff (PHI)
F Jack Studnicka (BOS)
F Nick Suzuki (MTL)
F Owen Tippett (FLA)
F Joe Veleno (DET)
F Gabe Vilardi (LAK)
Arizona Coyotes Assign Barrett Hayton To OHL
The Arizona Coyotes have decided that Barrett Hayton isn’t ready for the NHL after all. The team has assigned the top prospect back to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL, where he will continue his development as one of the most dynamic two-way centers in junior hockey.
Hayton was kept around a little longer than the preseason in order to give him a taste of NHL life, though he never actually entered a game for the Coyotes. The fifth-overall pick from June was something of a surprise selection, but the Coyotes and GM John Chayka have sung his praises since then. Underutilized last season in Sault Ste. Marie, Hayton should take on an even bigger role and show off why Arizona picked him so high. Even at just 18-years old he could join the Canadian World Junior team, especially if the management believes it would be their only chance at him before he heads to the NHL.
An excellent defensive center, Hayton has big offensive upside as well and should only add to the depth the Coyotes are trying to build down the middle. Though there is still some debate over whether Alex Galchenyuk can play the position full time, or whether Clayton Keller would be capable of a switch, the team already has several NHL-caliber options to grow the team around. Hayton should challenge that group next season, though there is no guarantee he even makes the club in 2019-20. If he doesn’t, the Greyhounds could be one of the best teams in the OHL for several years, and potentially compete for the Memorial Cup.