Two Kamloops Blazers will compete for the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2021 World Junior Hockey Championship, which will be held in December and January in Edmonton.
Forward Connor Zary and goaltender Dylan Garand will participate in Hockey Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection Camp, which will run from Nov. 16 to Dec. 13 in Red Deer.
The camp roster – which includes five goaltenders, 15 defencemen and 26 forwards – features 22 players taken in the 2020 NHL draft and 18 prospects from the 2019 NHL Draft.
Zary, 19, was a late invite to national team selection camp last year, replacing the injured Jakob Pelletier. The Saskatoon product fell short of cracking the squad.
He represented Canada at the 2019 Under-18 World Championship in Sweden.
The Calgary Flames picked Zary 24th overall earlier this month in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Garand, 18, has represented Canada at the U17 and U18 levels and has participated in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence goaltending camp.
The Victoria product posted a franchise-best 2.21 goals-against average last season, along with a .921 save percentage.
Garand, nabbed by the New York Rangers in Round 4 of the NHL Draft earlier this month, posted a 28-10-2-1 mark in 42 games in 2019-2020.
Among Garand's competition are Brett Brochu (18) of the London Knights, Taylor Gauthier (19) of the Prince George Cougars, Tristan Lennox (18) of the Saginaw Spirit and Devon Levi of Northeastern University, who turns 19 on Dec. 27.
Run by head coach Andre Tourigny, the selection camp will take place in a cohort bubble in Red Deer, with practices, three intrasquad games and six games against a team of U Sports all-stars.
Final rosters for the tournament will be expanded this year, with 22 skaters and three goaltenders instead of the usual 20 skaters and three goaltenders.
The 2021 world juniors, originally scheduled to be held in Red Deer and Edmonton, will be played in front of no fans in Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Red Deer and Edmonton will host in 2022.
