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A trio of athletes has been removed from the Canadian squad as the team carries on with its training for the upcoming world junior ice hockey tournament.
On Thursday, Hockey Canada revealed that attackers Marek Vanacker and Jake O’Brien, along with blueliner Jackson Smith, have been sent back to their respective professional clubs.
These reductions occurred subsequent to Canada’s 2-1 victory over Sweden during an exhibition match held Wednesday evening in Kitchener, Ontario.
Vanacker, who joined the training camp at a later stage, and O’Brien are both heading back to the Brantford Bulldogs team in the Ontario Hockey League, whereas Smith is set to link up again with Pennsylvania State in the NCAA.
These dismissals bring Canada’s lineup down to a total of 25 participants, comprising 22 on-ice players and three netminders, a number permissible according to International Ice Hockey Federation guidelines.
The Canadian squad will commence its under-20 championship campaign facing off against the Czech Republic on December 26th in Minneapolis.
