CANADA ANNOUNCES 2024 WORLD JUNIOR TEAM

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Macklin Celebrini will be on the plane to Sweden.

The 17-year-old presumptive No. 1 pick at June’s NHL draft was named to Canada’s 22-player roster announced Wednesday night for the 2024 world junior hockey championship.

“Huge honour,” said a beaming Celebrini. “Like every kid, it’s their dream.”

The smooth-skating centre from Vancouver sits second in the NCAA with 10 goals and 25 points in 15 games this season for Boston University.

“I was surprised at how good he was,” Hockey Canada executive Scott Salmond, who has scouted the phenom at different levels, said following the team’s selection camp.

“For a young player, at 17 years old, to play the way he did here is exciting.”

Celebrini is part of a group led by three teammates with NHL experience – forwards Owen Beck and Fraser Minten, and defenceman Tristan Luneau – set to compete at the under-20 showcase, which runs Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Owen Allard, Easton Cowan, Nate Danielson, Jordan Dumais, Conor Geekie, Carson Rehkopf, Matthew Savoie, Matthew Wood and Brayden Yager round out the forward group.

Denver Barkey, Jagger Firkus, Paul Ludwinski and Markus Vidicek were the cuts up front.

Hockey Canada had the option of keeping a 13th forward, but instead chose to leave that spot open in hopes an NHL team will release a player – the most likely candidates are Boston Bruins centre Matthew Poitras and Buffalo Sabres winger Zach Benson – before Canada plays its first exhibition game next week.

Oliver Bonk, Jake Furlong, Maveric Lamoureux, Denton Mateychuk, Tanner Molendyk and Noah Warren make up the remainder of the defence corps. Canada cut blueliners Michael Buchinger, Jorian Donovan and Ty Nelson.

The three goaltenders are Samuel St-Hilaire, Scott Ratzlaff and Mathis Rousseau, while Domenic DiVincentiis was sent home.

“Hard decisions,” Peter Anholt, the lead member of Canada’s management group, said of conversations with the cuts. “They’re good players. They’re here for a reason. But we did the work, we’ve gone through the process. It’s always hard to let players go that are 19 years old.

“They handled it like pros. You expect that.”

(Canadian Press)