Daniel Girard Sports Reporter
As always, the Canadians have assembled an impressive line-up.
A dozen of the 22 players on the roster of the host team and pre-tournament favourite for the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championship, are first-round NHL draft picks. More than half have already played for Canada in other international competitions. Three have scored goals in the NHL this season.
Here?s a closer look at the players on Team Canada:
Goaltenders
Mark Visentin
Age: 19; Height: 6-foot-2; Weight: 194 pounds
Hometown: Waterdown, Ont.
Teams: Niagara (OHL), Phoenix (NHL)
Scouting Report: Had a great tournament a year ago and took over the starting job from Olivier Roy, which is forgotten because he gave up five goals in the third period in the gold-medal game collapse against Russia
Scott Wedgewood
Age: 19; Height: 6-foot-1; Weight: 194 pounds
Hometown: Brampton, Ont.
Teams: Plymouth (OHL), New Jersey (NHL)
Scouting Report: Not ranked in the tops in any OHL goaltending categories, he?s a four-year Plymouth Whaler who won a spot on the roster because of his performance in the four-day selection camp
Defencemen
Jamie Oleksiak
Age: 19; Height: 6-foot-7; Weight: 244 pounds
Hometown: Toronto
Teams: Saginaw (OHL), Dallas (NHL)
Scouting Report: Big but not overly physical blueliner who is mobile and moves the puck well, he holds dual citizenship and played for the U.S. at the 2009 Ivan Hlinka Tournament (U18) but has now chosen to play for Canada
Brandon Gormley
Age: 19; Height: 6-foot-2; Weight: 196 pounds
Hometown: Murray River, PEI
Teams: Moncton (QMJHL); Phoenix (NHL)
Scouting Report: Cut from the team at age 17 and injured just before selection camp at age 18, the point-a-game rearguard is just the second P.E.I. native to make the team after Brad Richards of the New York Rangers
Dougie Hamilton
Age: 18; Height: 6-foot-4; Weight: 192 pounds
Hometown: Toronto
Teams: Niagara (OHL); Boston (NHL)
Scouting Report: The leading scorer among OHL defencemen, he, along with older brother Freddie, is part of the second brother combination to play for Canada at the tournament following Randy and Mike Moller in 1982
Mark Pysyk
Age: 19; Height: 6-foot-2; Weight: 187 pounds
Hometown: Sherwood Park, Alta.
Teams: Edmonton (WHL); Buffalo (NHL)
Scouting Report: The only Albertan to crack the lineup for the tournament in his home province, head coach Don Hay describes him as a very dependable, solid defender who doesn?t play a high-risk game
Scott Harrington
Age: 18; Height: 6-foot-3; Weight: 200 pounds
Hometown: Kingston, Ont.
Teams: London (OHL); Pittsburgh (NHL)
Scouting Report: As an 18-year-old, he was considered to be a bit of a longshot to crack the lineup on the blueline but won over the coaches with his steady defensive play
Ryan Murray
Age: 18; Height: 6-foot; Weight: 201 pounds
Hometown: White City, Sask.
Teams: Everett (WHL); Eligible 2012 NHL draft
Scouting Report: Just back from a high ankle sprain that?s limited him to just 11 WHL games this season, the youngest member of the team and shortest defenceman is known for his maturity and solid defensive game
Nathan Beaulieu
Age: 19; Height: 6-foot-2; Weight: 189 pounds
Hometown: Strathroy, Ont.
Teams: Saint John (QMJHL); Montreal (NHL);
Scouting Report: An offensive defenceman who is very adept at moving the puck, sees the ice well, makes good decisions and passes and complements all of that skill with a good shot
Forwards
Jaden Schwartz
Age: 19; Height: 5-foot10; Weight: 190 pounds
Hometown: Wilcox, Sask.
Teams: Colorado College (NCAA); St. Louis (NHL)
Scouting Report: The captain, only player on the team from U.S. college and one of only four returnees, he was a stocky, first-line winger on last year?s team before an ankle break in the second game ended his tournament
Michael Bournival
Age: 19; Height: 5-foot-11; Weight: 191 pounds
Hometown: Shawingan-Sud, Que.
Teams: Shawingan (QMJHL); Montreal (NHL)
Scouting Report: Limited by injury to just 16 games so far this season, he?s still scored at a point-and-a-half-game pace and is expected to fill a variety of roles as a solid, two-way centre or winger
Jonathan Huberdeau
Age: 18; Height: 6-foot-1; Weight: 176 pounds
Hometown: St.-Jerome, Que.
Teams: Saint John (QMJHL); Florida (NHL);
Scouting Report: Out since Nov. 5 with a broken foot, he missed the entire selection camp but if the third overall pick in last June?s NHL entry draft can get his conditioning back he?ll bring some much-needed offensive punch
Brendan Gallagher
Age: 19; Height: 5-foot-8; Weight: 178 pounds
Hometown: Tsawwassen, B.C.
Teams: Vancouver (WHL); Montreal (NHL)
Scouting Report: An under-sized winger with coach Hay?s Vancouver Giants, he?s well on his way to a third straight 40-goal season in the WHL but is not afraid to mix it up and will bring some scrappiness to the lineup
Freddie Hamilton
Age: 19; Height: 6-foot-1; Weight: 191 pounds
Hometown: Toronto
Teams: Niagara (OHL); San Jose (NHL)
Scouting Report: A slick-skating winger on pace to top his career-best 83-point total of a season ago, the older of the two Hamilton brothers he is a solid two-way player who was also an OHL scholastic player of the year
Brett Connolly
Age: 19; Height: 6-foot-2; Weight: 199 pounds
Hometown: Prince George, B.C.
Team: Tampa Bay (NHL)
Scouting Report: Another returnee from last year after being loaned to Canada by Tampa Bay, where he had four goals and four assists in 28 games. He?s a top-notch skater with great offensive skills and his hit on teammate Quinton Howden in an intra-squad game shows he?ll play physically
Tanner Pearson
Age: 19; Height: 6-foot; Weight: 198 pounds
Hometown: Kitchener, Ont.
Team: Barrie (OHL); Eligible for 2012 NHL draft
Scouting Report: Passed over in the NHL entry draft twice, he leads the OHL scoring race with 66 points in 30 games and has ?a great shot and good vision offensively,? according to Dale Hawerchuk, his head coach in Barrie
Mark Stone
Age: 19; Height: 6-foot-3; Weight: 206 pounds
Hometown: Winnipeg
Teams: Brandon (WHL); Ottawa (NHL)
Scouting Report: While his skating is still a work in progress, he makes up for it with his size, willingness to play aggressively and along the boards and offensive talent, which has him leading the WHL in scoring
Ryan Strome
Age: 18; Height: 6-foot; Weight: 183 pounds
Hometown: Mississauga, Ont.
Teams: Niagara (OHL); New York Islanders (NHL)
Scouting Report: Expected to be the second-line centre behind Mark Scheifle, he?s gifted offensively and can score as well as set-up, which is clear from the 33 goals and 73 assists he had in 65 games last season
Mark Scheifle
Age: 18; Height: 6-foot-2; Weight: 192 pounds
Hometown: Kitchener, Ont.
Teams: Barrie (OHL); Winnipeg (NHL)
Scouting Report: A highly-skilled player who is very creative with the puck, he?s considered the top-line centre and with a two-point-per-game pace since returning to Barrie from a seven-game stint in the NHL, is full of confidence
Boone Jenner
Age: 18; Height: 6-foot-1; 205 pounds
Hometown: Dorchester, Ont.
Teams: Oshawa (OHL); Columbus (NHL)
Scouting Report: While he can score, his big asset is his ability to do all the gritty things well ? block shots, win faceoffs, work hard along the boards and play a solid, two-way game
Quinton Howden
Age: 19; Height: 6-foot-2; Weight: 187 pounds
Hometown: Oak Bank, Man.
Teams: Moose Jaw (WHL); Florida (NHL)
Scouting Report: One of four returnees from last year?s silver medal-winning team, he?s a great skater and plays well at both ends of the ice but was slowed in pre-tournament action by concussion-like symptoms following a hit by Brett Connolly in an intra-squad game
Devante Smith-Pelly
Age: 19; Height: 5-foot-11; Weight: 212 pounds;
Hometown: Scarborough, Ont.
Team: Anaheim (NHL)
Scouting Report: Loaned to Canada by Anaheim for the tournament after 26 NHL games, the former Mississauga St. Michael?s Major has the offensive skill to be on the top line but also promises to be a force physically
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