Team Canada World Championships roster to feature 17-year-old

The 2024 IIHF World Hockey Championship is the last international event before the Four Nations Faceoff next February. Because of that Canada and the United States are wanting their top players to attend the tournament in Czechia next month.

For the last couple weeks, as teams have been eliminated from playoff contention, General Manager Rick Nash has reached out to players to see if they'd be interested in playing in the tournament and so far, six have confirmed, with more on the way.

The first player that was announced by insiders what Chicago Blackhawks rookie and 2023 first-overall pick Connor Bedard and now it appears he'll be joined by the 2021 first-overall pick Owen Power and projected 2024 first overall pick Macklin Celebrini. Power's Buffalo teammates Bowen Byram and Dylan Cozens will also be on Canada's roster.







Meanwhile between the pipes, St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, who last played for Canada at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship, has confirmed he will be attending the tournament, according to Matthew DeFranks.



Canada's management group is still awaiting word from Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki on if he'll play for them at the tournament, along with defenceman Kaiden Guhle, who said he'll be there if cleared by doctors. Canadiens defenceman Mike Matheson and goaltender Samuel Montembeault turned down invitations from Hockey Canada.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain and future Hockey Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby is expected to be asked to play as well, but it's unclear whether or not he'll attend.

Canada will kick off preliminary round play on Saturday, May 11th at 6:20 a.m. ET against Great Britain. They'll also face Denmark, Austria, Norway, Finland, Switzerland and the hosts, Czechia, before the knockout round begins on May 23rd.