Canada opens world junior selection camp with another home-soil tournament ahead

Team Canada Head Coach Dave Cameron speaks to the media following the first day of the Canadian World Junior Hockey Championships selection camp in Ottawa, Dec. 10, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA -

Scott Salmond says the message will be clear up and down the lineup.

Canada's quest for another home-soil gold medal at the world junior hockey championship will feature something the team lacked throughout last year's disastrous fifth-place finish overseas.

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"We could have been more competitive," Salmond, Hockey Canada's senior vice-president of high performance, said looking back as the current iteration began to gather for selection camp Tuesday night in a foggy nation's capital. "If you want to play, we need skilled guys, we need fast guys, we need competitive guys.

"We want a real Canadian team. We want to have a Canadian identity."

The country's under-20 men's program held an evening skate at TD Place -- the first of a string of on-ice sessions that will include two exhibition games against Canadian university all-stars before cuts come later this week. But because of inclement weather blanketing Ottawa, only 14 of 33 hopefuls were on the ice.

"Challenging day," Salmond said. "We expect everyone to be here (Wednesday)."

One player who won't be part of camp ahead of the tournament -- set to run Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 -- but with his named already pencilled on the final roster, is Carolina Hurricanes first-round pick Bradly Nadeau.

The 19-year-old forward from Saint-Francois de Madawaska, N.B., played one NHL game this season and has 12 points in 20 contests with the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves. Nadeau's inclusion means one less spot on the wing in what should be a crowded competition.

"Real good player playing at the (AHL) level," said Canadian head coach Dave Cameron, whose day job is leading the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67's.

"We expect him to be big contributor in this team."

Three eligible NHLers -- forwards Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks, Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, and Zach Benson of the Buffalo Sabres -- aren't expected to be made available by their pro teams.

Salmond said Canada might not make its final cuts immediately following Friday's second game against the U Sports all-stars because countries can carry up to 25 players this year.

"Every player at this camp will remain eligible until we sign all 25 cards," he said. "It gives us some flexibility."

Canada, which will be looking to build on its record 20 gold medals, has seven returnees from last year's group that travelled to Sweden before crashing out in the quarterfinals, but there are no guarantees they will all make the grade under Cameron.

Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan -- on a 56-game point streak in the OHL, but not participating in drills this week after taking a big hit Friday with the London Knights -- will be on the team if he's healthy.

Fellow forward Brayden Yager (Winnipeg Jets) also appears to be a lock along with defencemen Oliver Bonk (Philadelphia Flyers) and Tanner Molendyk (Nashville Predators). Molendyk made the 2024 squad before being ruled out due to injury.

But forwards Carson Rehkopf (Seattle Kraken) and Matthew Wood (Nashville), along with goaltender Scott Ratzlaff (Buffalo), might be in trouble if they don't stand out.

Canada, which will hold training camp in Petawawa, Ont., once its roster is set, has brought plenty of youth to Ottawa.

Medicine Hat Tigers forward Gavin McKenna, 16, leads the Western Hockey League with 60 points and could be the No. 1 pick at the 2026 NHL draft.

Two players expected to battle for the top slot at June's draft are also in the mix -- 17-year-old defenceman Matthew Schaefer of the OHL's Erie Otters and 18-year-old winger Porter Martone of the Mississauga Steelheads.

A couple other 18 year olds were handed lifelines after not initially being included for selection camp.

Calgary Flames defenceman prospect Zayne Parekh of the Saginaw Spirit was added when Harrison Brunicke was scratched due to injury, while Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim Ducks) got a tap on the shoulder with Cowan looking on this week.

Former head coach Alan Letang, who led the 2024 group, repeatedly talked about the need for his roster to get on the inside to the dirty areas around the opposition net as the tournament progressed 12 months ago.

It never really happened.

Salmond pointed Tuesday to a number of reasons why Canada didn't get to where it wanted in Sweden -- the lack of a summer camp and head scout among them.

"Those things sound like excuses, and maybe they are," Salmond said. "There's a number of factors, but ultimately it's the messaging that comes from the organization through the coaches right down to the players.

"And the expectation that they have in the room for themselves."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2024.