Hockey Canada recently announced the roster of 22 players who will represent Team Canada at the upcoming World Junior Championship in Sweden, taking place from December 26 to January 5.
There's exciting news for fans of the Montreal Canadiens, as prospect Owen Beck will be participating in his second World Junior Championship. Last year, Beck, a member of the Peterborough Petes, played a more subdued role in Canada's gold medal conquest, registering only one assist in three games.
However, this year in Gothenburg, the scenario is expected to be quite different for Beck, who was a second-round pick in 2022. As the only returning veteran on Team Canada, he is likely to be a key player for coach Alan Letang, especially in defensive roles.
The 19-year-old center seems very excited about participating in such a prestigious tournament for the second consecutive year. He aims to use his experience from last year to help his teammates quickly adapt to a tournament featuring the world's best young players.
"I'm really excited, I can't wait, I feel like I have to build on the experience I gained at last year's tournament. I have the opportunity to represent my country again, and I want to try to help my teammates settle in with this kind of experience and let them know what it's like. I'm very enthusiastic about participating in this tournament." - Owen Beck
Beck's progress in the past months will be interesting to observe, especially given his excellent performance in junior hockey this season. After a slow start, he has bounced back with 8 goals and 7 assists (15 points) in his last 10 games, bringing his total to 30 points this year.
Here is the complete list of players who will don the Canadian jersey at the tournament in Sweden:
Forwards: Owen Allard, Owen Beck, Macklin Celebrini, Easton Cowan, Nate Danielson, Jordan Dumais, Conor Geekie, Fraser Minten, Carson Rehkopf, Matthew Savoie. Matthew Wood and Brayden Yager
Defensemen: Oliver Bonk, Jake Furlong, Maveric Lamoureux, Tristan Luneau, Denton Mateychuk, Tanner Molendyk, and Noah Warren
Goaltenders: Scott Ratzlaff, Mathis Rousseau, and Samuel St-Hilaire
Considering the strength of this roster, Team Canada could indeed be a strong contender to win the championship again this year.
