Hockey Canada has announced its National Junior Team roster for the 2019 World Junior Hockey Championships in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, that starts Boxing Day. Among the players on the Team Canada roster include nine players from the Ontario Hockey League, six players from the Western Hockey League, five players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and two players from the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
The OHL players are defenceman Evan Bouchard of Oakville, Ontario (London Knights), goaltender Michael DiPietro of Amherstburg, Ontario (Ottawa 67’s), right winger MacKenzie Entwistle of Georgetown, Ontario (Hamilton Bulldogs), centre Morgan Frost of Aurora, Ontario (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds), centre Barrett Hayton of Peterborough, Ontario (Greyhounds), defenceman Markus Phillips of Toronto, Ontario (Owen Sound Attack), centre Jack Studnicka of Tecumseh, Ontario (Oshawa Generals), centre Nick Suzuki of London, Ontario (Attack), and right winger Owen Tippett of Peterborough, Ontario (Mississauga Steelheads).
The WHL players are centre Jaret Anderson-Dolan of Calgary, Alberta, defenceman Josh Brook of Roblin, Manitoba (Moose Jaw Warriors), centre Cody Glass of Winnipeg, Manitoba, centre Brett Leason of Calgary, Alberta (Prince Albert Raiders), goaltender Ian Scott of Calgary, Alberta (Raiders) and defenceman Ty Smith of Lloydminster, Alberta. The QMJHL players are left winger Maxime Comtois of Longueuil, Quebec (Drummondville Voltigeurs) defenceman Noah Dobson of Summerside, Prince Edward Island (Acadie-Bathurst Titan), left winger Alex Lafreniere of St-Eustache, Quebec (Rimouski Oceanic), defenceman Jared McIsaac of Truro, Nova Scotia (Halifax Mooseheads), and centre Joe Veleno of Kirkland, Quebec (Voltigeurs). The NCAA players are center Shane Bowers of Halifax, Nova Scotia and defenceman Ian Mitchell of Calahoo, Alberta.
Of the 22 players, five are drafted by Canadian teams. They are Bouchard (Edmonton Oilers), Bowers (Ottawa Senators), Brook (Montreal Canadiens), DiPietro (Vancouver Canucks), and Scott (Toronto Maple Leafs).
Team Canada is in Group A. They play Denmark on Boxing Day, Switzerland on December 27, the Czech Republic on December 29 and Russia on December 31. All of Canada’s Group A games are being played at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.
