Nelson called to Sweden
NORTH BAY, Ont. — Ty Nelson of the North Bay Battalion has been added to the Canadian roster for the World Junior Championship starting Tuesday at Gothenburg, Sweden, Hockey Canada announced Saturday.
Nelson, a 19-year-old right-shot defenceman, takes the place of Tristan Luneau, who has battled an illness.
Nelson, who with Battalion goaltender Dom DiVincentiis was released from the Canadian selection camp at Oakville, Ont., on Dec. 13, was in Pittsburgh when Hockey Canada reached him. He was to travel to Toronto to fly to Sweden.
The 10 competing teams are scheduled to file final rosters for the tournament Monday night.
“I’m sure I speak for all of North Bay in saying the world juniors just got a lot more personal,” said Battalion general manager Adam Dennis.
“This is a huge thrill for Ty and the rest of our organization, and we couldn’t be prouder. We look forward to watching him represent the red and white.”
A third-round choice by the Seattle Kraken in the 2022 National Hockey League Draft who has signed a three-year entry-level contract, Nelson has 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points in 28 games with the Ontario Hockey League’s Battalion, which made him the No. 1 pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection.
Canada summoned defenceman Jorian Donovan of the Brantford Bulldogs on Friday after Tanner Molendyk left a 6-3 exhibition victory over Switzerland with an upper-body injury. Donovan, a 19-year-old who has eight goals and 18 assists for 26 points in 31 games with Brantford, was one of the final cuts when Canada named its preliminary roster.
Molendyk dealt with a lower-body injury throughout the selection camp. Luneau, who did not play in a 6-5 overtime exhibition loss Saturday to the United States, was loaned to Canada by the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks.
In group play, Canada faces Finland on Tuesday, Latvia on Wednesday, Sweden on Friday and Germany on Dec. 31. Quarterfinal games are scheduled Jan. 2, with the semifinals Jan. 4 and the medal games Jan. 5.
All Canada’s games will be televised nationally by TSN.
Forward Nick Paul, who won gold in 2015, is the most recent Battalion member to play for Canada.
