Packed Ice: Hockey Canada’s world juniors selection camp begins with 33 players
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. — There are so many players at Hockey Canada’s world junior championship selection camp that the ice was completely torn up after just one practice, with pucks bouncing over sticks and snow piling up against the goals.
Head coach Dominique Ducharme put 32 of his charges through two practices on Tuesday, rotating through four goalies and trying to give the 18 forwards and 10 defencemen a good look as he, team lead Joel Bouchard and head scout Brad McEwen have to narrow their roster down to 22 by Friday.
Only defenceman Dante Fabbro sat out as he nursed an undisclosed injury.
“It’s going to be interesting to see the battles, because we strongly believe that the 33 guys here have the chance to make this team,” said Ducharme outside Canada’s locker room at the Meridian Centre. “It’s their job to make us make difficult decisions.