Hockey Canada has announced its roster for the upcoming 2023 men’s under-18 world championship.
The roster includes 22 players (three goalies, seven defencemen and 12 forwards), eight of which won gold for Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer.
Canada is looking to bounce back after losing 6-5 to Finland in last year’s world championship quarterfinals. Three players are returning from that team: Tanner Howe, Matthew Wood and Lukas Dragicevic.
Jeff Truitt of the Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders will be the team’s head coach, while John Dean of the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Bruce Richardson of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada will serve as assistants.
Justin Pogge, a Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick in 2004 who starred for Canada at the 2006 world juniors in Vancouver, is the team’s goaltending consultant.
The under-18 tournament takes place April 20-30 in Basel and Porrentruy, Switzerland.
The Canadian Press
READ MORE: Hockey Canada members elect new board of directors, including chair Hugh Fraser