Cowan, McKenna highlight Canada's world junior camp roster

Hockey Canada unveiled a 32-player training camp roster for the upcoming World Junior Championship on Monday, with Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan and 17-year-old WHL scoring leader Gavin McKenna highlighting the list.

Canada left off five players selected in the top 10 of the 2024 NHL Draft from the camp roster: Beckett Sennecke (third), Cayden Lindstrom (fourth), Tij Iginla (sixth), Carter Yakemchuk (seventh), and Zayne Parekh (ninth).

Lindstrom hasn't played since April and underwent minor back surgery in November.

Canada must cut the roster to 25 players before the tournament begins Dec. 26 in Ottawa.

Forwards (18)

Leila Devlin / Getty Images Player Age Current Team NHL Rights Denver Barkey 19 London (OHL) Flyers Cole Beaudoin 18 Barrie (OHL) Utah Mathieu Cataford 19 Rimouski (QMJHL) Golden Knights Berkly Catton 18 Spokane (WHL) Kraken Easton Cowan 19 London (OHL) Maple Leafs Andrew Cristall 19 Kelowna (WHL) Capitals Ethan Gauthier 19 Drummondville (QMJHL) Lightning Riley Heidt 19 Prince George (WHL) Wild Tanner Howe 19 Calgary (WHL) Penguins Jett Luchanko 18 Guelph (OHL) Flyers Porter Martone 18 Brampton (OHL) 2025 eligible Gavin McKenna 17 Medicine Hat (WHL) 2026 eligible Bradly Nadeau 19 Chicago (AHL) Hurricanes Luca Pinelli 19 Ottawa (OHL) Blue Jackets Carson Rehkopf 19 Brampton (OHL) Kraken Calum Ritchie 19 Oshawa (OHL) Avalanche Matthew Wood 19 Minnesota (NCAA) Predators Brayden Yager 19 Moose Jaw (WHL) Jets

Cowan, Rehkopf, Wood, and Yager return from last year's team. Macklin Celebrini, Canada's scoring leader at the 2024 tourney, is with the San Jose Sharks and is unlikely to be sent back for the world juniors.

Eight forwards on the camp roster were drafted in the first round - Beaudoin, Catton, Cowan, Luchanko, Nadeau, Ritchie, Wood, and Yager.

Martone is a contender to go first overall in next year's NHL draft and ranks second in OHL scoring. McKenna, the top prospect for the 2026 draft, scored 20 points in seven games at the Under-18s in the spring.

Cristall leads the entire CHL with 2.61 points per game.

Canada also omitted OHL scoring leader Michael Misa from the roster. He's eligible for the 2025 draft.

Defensemen (10)

Nic Antaya / Getty Images Sport / Getty Player Age Current Team NHL Rights Cameron Allen 19 Guelph (OHL) Capitals Beau Akey 19 Barrie (OHL) Oilers Oliver Bonk 19 London (OHL) Flyers Harrison Brunicke 18 Kamloops (WHL) Penguins Sam Dickinson 18 London (OHL) Sharks Andrew Gibson 19 Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) Predators Tanner Molendyk 19 Saskatoon (WHL) Predators Sawyer Mynio 19 Seattle (WHL) Canucks Caden Price 19 Kelowna (WHL) Kraken Matthew Schaefer 17 Erie (OHL) 2025 eligible

Three defenders on the camp roster were drafted in the first round - Bonk, Dickinson, and Molendyk. Bonk is the only returnee from last year's team.

Dickinson has torched the OHL with 15 goals and 45 points in 24 games this season. He ranks third in league scoring and is 10 points ahead of the next top-scoring blue-liner.

Schaefer is considered the top defenseman in the 2025 draft and a candidate to go first overall.

Goaltenders (4)

Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images Sport / Getty Player Age Current Team NHL Rights Carson Bjarnason 19 Brandon (WHL) Flyers Carter George 18 Owen Sound (OHL) Kings Jack Ivankovic 17 Brampton (WHL) 2025 eligible Scott Ratzlaff 19 Seattle (WHL) Sabres

Ratzlaff was Canada's third-string netminder at last year's tournament but owns the lowest save percentage of the group named to the camp roster (.889).

Bjarnason was selected 51st overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2023 and is the highest-drafted goaltender on the camp roster. Ivankovic backstopped Canada to gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August.

Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.