Colto Dach of Kelowna Rockets (Photo credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

By Pete McIntyre

world juniors

Kelowna Rocket captain invited to Team Canada’s camp

Dec 5, 2022 | 2:50 PM

With less than one month until the puck drops on the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, Hockey Canada announced today the 29 players, including Kelowna Rockets captain Colton Dach, who have earned an invitation to Canada’s National Junior Team selection camp, set for Dec. 9-12 at the Avenir Centre in Moncton, N.B.

Four goaltenders, nine defencemen and 16 forwards were selected by the coaches, scouts and management.

Dach, 19, has been limited to 14 games this season and currently sits fourth in team scoring with 17 points (9G, 8A). The Chicago Blackhawks prospect leads the Rockets in game-winning goals with four.

Among the 29 players competing for a chance to represent Canada at the World Juniors in Halifax and Moncton are 10 players who won a gold medal at the 2022 World Juniors in Edmonton (Bedard, Del Mastro, Gaucher, Kidney, Lambos, Ostapchuk, Othmann, Roy, Stankoven, Zellweger).

Selection camp will include practices and a pair of games against a team of U SPORTS all-stars, Dec. 11 and Dec. 12 .

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Following selection camp, Canada’s National Junior Team will name its final roster for the event on Dec. 12.

“We are excited to host our selection camp in Moncton and give fans in New Brunswick the opportunity to see the best under-20 Canadian players before the start of the World Juniors,” said Scott Salmond of Hockey Canada. “While we continue to have discussions with NHL teams regarding additional players that may be available to attend camp, we are thrilled for the 29 players that have been named to our camp roster and we look forward to taking on a strong U SPORTS team as part of our evaluation process.”

Canada’s National Junior Team will also hold a five-day training camp at the Garcelon Civic Centre in St. Stephen, N.B., from Dec. 14-18 in preparation for the 2023 World Juniors before taking on Switzerland, Slovakia and Finland in pre-tournament action.

The 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship begins on Boxing Day with four games, including Canada taking on Czechia at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will once again provide extensive coverage of the event, broadcasting all 31 tournament games, as well as all three Team Canada pre-tournament games.