Hockey Canada has announced their final roster for the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship, set to start on December 26 in Moncton and Halifax.
Three Montreal Canadiens prospects were at the camp, and after the 10 cuts were made, only one — Joshua Roy — remained. Roy scored in each of the two pre-tournament games, solidifying his spot that already seemed very likely.
Fellow Canadiens prospects Riley Kidney and Owen Beck were cut.
Kidney, who played in this past summer’s tournament, suffered an injury in the first game of selection camp, and although he tried to return for the game on Monday, he was unable to. He was one of many players fighting for a spot who wasn’t considered a lock, and his injury sealed his fate.
🇨🇦 coach Dennis Williams on Riley Kidney, who took warm-up, but couldn’t play today
“Unfortunately sometimes injuries are part of it. He gave it all to try & manage it. I don’t know the extent of it, but courageous for him to give that a try today”
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) December 12, 2022
Beck played in both pre-tournament games, and was in the mix for one of the team’s centre spots. Ultimately, the team went in a different direction. Unlike Roy and Kidney, he is eligible for next year’s tournament but he may have his sights on an NHL job instead.
Canada will play three pre-tournament games: December 19 against Switzerland and December 21 against Slovakia, both at the Avenir Centre in Moncton, and December 23 against Finland at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.
The first game Canada plays at the tournament will be against Czechia on Boxing Day.
