The Barrie area will be represented in Sweden at the upcoming IIHF world junior tournament, a holiday tradition in these parts.
Utopia native Carson Rehkopf, who has been lighting it up this season with the Ontario Hockey League's first-place Kitchener Rangers, was named to Team Canada on Wednesday night.
The big left-handed centreman leads the OHL in points (55) with 31 goals and 24 assists through only 31 games. He's only four points shy of eclipsing last year's points total, when he had 59 points in 68 games. His 31 goals also leads the league this season.
Last night, Hockey Canada announced the 20 players who will be wearing the maple leaf in Gothenburg, Sweden when the high-profile tournament rolls around later this month. The event runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.
Canada will be gunning for its third straight three straight gold medal for the first time since they won five in a row from 2005-09.
Listed at six-foot-one and 195 pounds, Rehkopf was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the second round (50th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Rehkopf, who came up through the Barrie Jr. Colts AAA system before moving to the Greater Toronto Hockey League's Toronto Jr. Canadiens, is among five players from the OHL who have been selected to Team Canada. The others include Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck (Peterborough), Philadelphia first-rounder Oliver Bonk (London), Toronto draft pick Easton Cowan (London) and undrafted centre Owen Allard (Sault Ste. Marie).
Beck is the lone player returning from last year's Team Canada squad.
As part of its preparations for the 2024 world juniors, Canada will open its pre-tournament schedule against a U25 team from Denmark on Dec. 19 before facing Switzerland on Dec. 22 and the United States on Dec. 23.
The 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship begins on Boxing Day when Canada takes on Finland at 8:30 a.m (ET).
In addition to broadcasting Canada’s pre-tournament games against Switzerland and the U.S., TSN will be broadcasting all 31 tournament games. TSN Radio will also provide tournament coverage.
20 CHL PLAYERS NAMED TO CANADA’S 2024 NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM
Goaltenders (3)
Scott Ratzlaff (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL)
Mathis Rousseau (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL)
Samuel St-Hilaire (Sherbrooke Phoenix / QMJHL)
Defencemen (7)
Oliver Bonk (London Knights / OHL)
Jake Furlong (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL)
Maveric Lamoureux (Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL)
Tristan Luneau (Gatineau Olympiques / QMJHL)
Denton Mateychuk (Moose Jaw Warriors / WHL)
Tanner Molendyk (Saskatoon Blades / WHL)
Noah Warren (Victoriaville Tigres / QMJHL)
Forwards (10)
Owen Allard (Soo Greyhounds / OHL)
Owen Beck (Peterborough Petes / OHL)
Easton Cowan (London Knights / OHL)
Nate Danielson (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL)
Jordan Dumais (Halifax Mooseheads / QMJHL)
Conor Geekie (Wenatchee Wild / WHL)
Fraser Minten (Saskatoon Blades / WHL)
Carson Rehkopf (Kitchener Rangers / OHL)
Matthew Savoie (Wenatchee Wild / WHL)
Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw Warriors / WHL)
Coaching Staff
Alan Letang (Sarnia Sting / OHL) – Head Coach
Gilles Bouchard (Sherbrooke Phoenix / QMJHL) – Assistant Coach
Shaun Clouston (Kamloops Blazers / WHL) – Assistant Coach
Scott Walker (Guelph Storm / OHL) – Assistant Coach
