Bedard, Wright headline Canada's 22-man roster for 2023 world juniors
Canada unveiled its 22-man roster for the upcoming 2023 World Junior Championship on Monday.
The event takes place in Halifax and Moncton and begins on its traditional start date of Boxing Day. Canada opens the tournament against Czechia.
Here's the full roster:
Forwards
| PLAYER | CURRENT TEAM | NHL RIGHTS |
|---|---|---|
| Caedan Bankier | Kamloops (WHL) | MIN |
| Connor Bedard | Regina (WHL) | 2023 eligible |
| Colton Dach | Kelowna (WHL) | CHI |
| Zach Dean | Gatineau (QMJHL) | VGK |
| Adam Fantilli | Michigan (NCAA) | 2023 eligible |
| Nathan Gaucher | Quebec (QMJHL) | ANA |
| Dylan Guenther | Arizona (NHL) | ARI |
| Zack Ostapchuk | Vancouver (WHL) | OTT |
| Brennan Othmann | Peterborough (OHL) | NYR |
| Joshua Roy | Sherbrooke (QMJHL) | MTL |
| Reid Schaefer | Seattle (WHL) | EDM |
| Logan Stankoven | Kamloops (WHL) | DAL |
| Shane Wright | Seattle (NHL) | SEA |
Defensemen
| PLAYER | CURRENT TEAM | NHL RIGHTS |
|---|---|---|
| Nolan Allan | Seattle (WHL) | CHI |
| Brandt Clarke | Los Angeles (NHL) | LAK |
| Ethan Del Mastro | Mississauga (OHL) | CHI |
| Tyson Hinds | Sherbrooke (QMJHL) | ANA |
| Kevin Korchinski | Seattle (WHL) | CHI |
| Jack Matier | Ottawa (OHL) | NSH |
| Olen Zellweger | Everett (WHL) | ANA |
Goaltenders
| PLAYER | CURRENT TEAM | NHL RIGHTS |
|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Gaudreau | Sarnia (OHL) | SJS |
| Thomas Milic | Seattle (WHL) | Undrafted |
Connor Bedard, Ethan Del Mastro, Nathan Gaucher, Zack Ostapchuk, Brennan Othmann, Joshua Roy, Logan Stankoven, and Olen Zellweger return from the Canadian squad that won gold in August at the world juniors.
Forwards Owen Beck, Zachary Bolduc, Jordan Dumais, Ryan Greene, Riley Kidney, defensemen Carson Lambos, Evan Nause, Ethan Samson, and goaltenders Tyler Brennan and William Rousseau were Canada's final cuts.
The team's star-studded roster includes three players loaned from NHL teams in Seattle Kraken forward Shane Wright, Arizona Coyotes forward Dylan Guenther, and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke.
Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli, both projected top picks in the 2023 NHL Draft, are also expected to play a significant role.
The world juniors run from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.