Hockey Canada has made it's final round of cuts before the World Junior Championship opens on Boxing Day.
Five players were given the bad news following Canada's 8-0 victory over the Czech Republic in a pre-tournament game Wednesday night.
Owen Sound goaltender Michael McNiven, defencemen Guillaume Brisebois of the Charlottetown Islanders and Samuel Girard of the Shawinigan Cataractes we all released Wednesday, along with forwards Sam Steel of the Regina Pats and Zach Senyshyn of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Senyshyn is a first round pick of the Boston Bruins, Steele was selected in the first round by Anaheim in 2016.
Five players return from last year's team, defenceman Thomas Chabot, and forwards Mathew Barzal, Julien Gauthier, Mitchell Stephens and Dylan Strome.
There were 31 players when the team selection camp opened on Sunday, the 22-player roster begins play on Boxing Day against Russia.
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Here's is Team Canada's roster for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship:
Goaltenders Carter Hart - Everett (WHL) Connor Ingram - Kamloops (WHL)Defencemen Jake Bean - Calgary (WHL) *Thomas Chabot - Saint John (QMJHL)* Kale Clague - Brandon (WHL) Dante Fabbro - Boston Univ. (NCAA) Noah Juulsen - Everett (WHL) Jeremy Lauzon - Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) Philippe Myers - Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
Forwards *Mathew Barzal - Seattle (WHL)* Anthony Cirelli - Oshawa (OHL) Dillon Dube - Kelowna (WHL) Pierre-Luc Dubois - Cape Breton (QMJHL) *Julien Gauthier - Val-d'Or (QMJHL)* Mathieu Joseph - Saint John (QMJHL) Tyson Jost - Univ. of North Dakota (NCAA) Michael McLeod - Mississauga (OHL) Taylor Raddysh - Erie (OHL) Nicolas Roy - Chicoutimi (QMJHL). Blake Speers - Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) *Mitchell Stephens - Saginaw (OHL)* *Dylan Strome - Erie (OHL)* Head Coach Dominique Ducharme - Halifax (QMJHL)
Assistant Coaches Trevor Letowski - Windsor (OHL) Dave Lowry - Victoria (WHL) Kelly McCrimmon - Brandon (WHL)