Bedard headlines Canada's rescheduled world junior roster
Team Canada revealed the 25 players it'll take to Alberta for the rescheduled 2022 World Junior Hockey Championship hosted later this month.
The original event was postponed in December during the preliminary round due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Results from the initial dates won't carry over, and players born in 2002 or later remained eligible for the tournament, which typically has an under-20 requirement.
Here's Canada's full roster:
Forwards
| Player | Current team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|
| Connor Bedard* | Regina (WHL) | 2023 eligible |
| Will Cuylle* | Windsor (OHL) | NYR |
| Elliot Desnoyers* | Halifax (QMJHL) | PHI |
| William Dufour | Saint John (QMJHL) | NYI |
| Tyson Foerster | Barrie (OHL) | PHI |
| Nathan Gaucher | Quebec (QMJHL) | ANA |
| Ridly Greig* | Brandon (WHL) | OTT |
| Kent Johnson* | Michigan (NCAA) | CLB |
| Riley Kidney | Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL) | MTL |
| Mason McTavish* | Hamilton (OHL) | ANA |
| Zack Ostapchuk | Vancouver (WHL) | OTT |
| Brennan Othmann | Flint (OHL) | NYR |
| Joshua Roy | Sherbrooke (QMJHL) | MTL |
| Logan Stankoven* | Kamloops (WHL) | DAL |
Defensemen
| Player | Current team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|
| Lukas Cormier* | Charlottetown (QMJHL) | VGK |
| Ethan Del Mastro | Mississauga (OHL) | CHI |
| Carson Lambos* | Winnipeg (WHL) | MIN |
| Ryan O'Rourke* | Sault St. Marie (OHL) | MIN |
| Donovan Sebrango* | Grand Rapids (AHL) | DET |
| Ronan Seeley* | Everett (WHL) | CAR |
| Jack Thompson | Sault St. Marie | TBL |
| Olen Zellweger* | Everett (WHL) | ANA |
Goaltenders
| Player | Current team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|
| Brett Brochu* | London (OHL) | N/A |
| Sebastian Cossa* | Edmonton (WHL) | DET |
| Dylan Garand* | Kamloops (WHL) | NYR |
*Player was on roster in December
Shane Wright and Cole Perfetti are among nine players from the December roster who aren't on the squad this time around. The Seattle Kraken chose Wright fourth overall in July's NHL draft, while Perfetti split the last campaign with the Winnipeg Jets - who took him 10th overall in 2020 - and their AHL affiliate.
The roster again features Connor Bedard - the projected No. 1 overall pick in next year's NHL draft - but doesn't include Owen Power, who the Buffalo Sabres selected first last year.
Power made an immediate impact in December when he became the first Canadian defenseman in world junior history to score a hat trick, completing the feat during the first game of preliminary action.
Bedard, meanwhile, dazzled with a four-goal performance in the following contest against Austria.
Garand is the only player from the 2021 roster. The United States defeated Canada to claim gold in that tourney. The Canadians took the tournament's top prize in 2018 and 2020 and have won the event a record 18 times.
Ethan Del Mastro replaced the injured Daemon Hunt on the roster just prior to the tournament.
Russia will not be competing as part of IIHF sanctions against the country for its invasion of Ukraine.
The tournament will run from Aug. 9-20.