Draft-eligibles Bedard, Fantilli headline World Junior selection camp roster

Forwards Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli, the projected No. 1 and No. 2 picks for the 2023 NHL Draft, headline Canada's 29-player World Junior selection camp roster.

Camp is set to run from Dec. 9-12 as Canada looks to defend its gold medal on home soil in Halifax and Moncton.

Bedard, who won gold at the 2022 World Juniors in August, had four goals and eight points in seven games. The Regina Pats centre currently has 27 goals and 64 points in 28 games to lead the Western Hockey League in scoring. 

Fantilli will make his World Juniors debut for Canada after scoring one goal and six points in four games at the U18s in April. A freshman at the University of Michigan this season, he is second in NCAA scoring with 10 goals and 25 points in 14 games. 

Two other camp invitees who are draft eligible in 2023 are goaltenders Thomas Milic of the Seattle Thunderbirds and William Rousseau of the Quebec Remparts. 

Along with Bedard, the returning players from the gold-medal winning squad in August are forwards Logan Stankoven, Brennan Othmann, Joshua Roy, Riley Kidney, Nathan Gaucher and Zack Ostapchuk, and defencemen Olen Zellweger, Ethan Del Mastro and Carson Lambos. 

The Montreal Canadiens lead the way in Canadian NHL team prospect representation with three draft picks in forwards Roy, Kidney and Owen Beck. The Edmonton Oilers (Reid Schaefer) and Ottawa Senators (Ostapchuk) have one each. 

Other notable prospects include defenceman Kevin Korchinski (seventh overall to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022) and QMJHL leading scorer Jordan Dumais (Columbus Blue Jackets third-round pick in 2022). 

The tournament is set to run from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5. Canada kicks off its tournament on Boxing Day against Czechia on TSN at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.