With less than one month until the puck drops on the 2023 IIHF 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, Hockey Canada has announced the 29 players 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.
Corbeil's Ben Gaudreau is one of only five Ontario Hockey League players, and one of four goaltenders invited to the selection camp.
Unfortunately, that five does not include Battalion star Ty Nelson who did not get an invitation.
See related: Gaudreau reflects on his recent Team Canada experience
Gaudreau goes into the camp with less than stellar numbers early this season with the Sarnia Sting. He sports a 3.62 goals against average and a .862 save percentage through 22 games so far this season.
"It’s really special growing up watching the world juniors was definitely a highlight for me so now having a chance to be in that highlighted moment means the world to me," Gaudreau told BayToday.
That being said, on the international stage, Gaudreau has impressed wearing the maple leaf.
Gaudreau won gold with Canada's Under-18 team in Texas in 2021. He was also pleased with how he performed at the Hockey Canada World Junior camp in Calgary in August.
"It was a lot of fun with the guys and stuff like that and we always have a good time getting to see each other again and was definitely busy for a lot of people," said Gaudreau after the summer camp.
"I had a pretty good camp and I showed what I could do. It is just starting up quickly and picking up where I left off at the camp and I have to have a hot start to the season and make sure I show them what I can do in a bunch of games. As long as I get that going again, I almost have to let camp go and forget it even started, and show them what I can do during the season once it starts," added Gaudreau back in August.
Gaudreau named the 2021-22 Sarnia Sting MVP, is hoping to be the first North Bay area player to make Team Canada's World Junior squad since Colton Point did so back in 2018 in Buffalo where Canada won gold.
OHL Players Invited to Canada's National Junior Team Selection Camp:
Goaltender:
Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)
Defence:
Ethan Del Mastro (Mississauga Steelheads)
Jack Matier (Ottawa 67's)
Forwards:
Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
Brennan Othmann (Peterborough Petes)
