CALGARY — Kaiden Guhle has been named Canada's captain for the upcoming world junior hockey championship.

Jake Neighbours and 2021 gold medallist Cole Perfetti will serve alongside Guhle as alternate captains.

Guhle, a defenceman from Sherwood Park, Alta., and Neighbours, a winger from Calgary, are teammates on the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings, while Perfetti, a centre from Whitby, Ont., is in his second season with AHL's Manitoba Moose.

Canada announced its 25-player roster on Dec. 12 following a four-day selection camp that included a pair of games against a team of U Sports all-stars.

The Canadians will begin their tournament on Dec. 26 against the Czechs in Edmonton.

Canada will then face Austria on Dec. 28, Germany on Dec. 29 and Finland on Dec. 31 to wrap up preliminary-round action.

All 10 teams will take part in one pre-tournament game. Canada plays Russia on Dec. 23 as a final tune-up before Boxing Day. Each team was initially supposed to play a minimum of two pre-tournament games, but that plan was scaled back.

This year's edition of the world juniors is being held at both Rogers Place in Edmonton and the Peavey Mart Centrium in Red Deer, Alta.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2021.