Liam Foudy and Connor McMichael of the London Knights will play for Team Canada at the 2020 World Junior Hockey Championship.
The two London Knights forwards will join a large contingent from the Knights organization in Trinec and Ostrava in the Czech Republic.
This year’s Team Canada entry is being coached for the first time by Dale Hunter, while Mark Hunter returns as General Manager for Team Canada. London Equipment Manager Chris Maton and Head of Security Bob Martin are also with the team.
McMichael made the team as an 18-year old and could play in next year’s tournament as well. He leads the Ontario Hockey League in points with 59 in 27 games. McMichael was selected by the Washington Capitals in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft in June.
Foudy attended Canada’s final selection camp last year and was one of the last cuts.
He looked back on that time heading into camp and believed it would actually help him this year.
This year, Foudy will be there as Canada opens the tournament on Boxing Day against the United States, and their roster could feature two more London Knights.
Both Alec Regula and Jonathan Gruden have been invited to their preliminary camp which will take place on Dec. 16 and 17 in Plymouth, Mich.
Canada will play Russia in their second game of the tournament. Next, they go up against a German squad that has some top-end players, including Red Wings prospect Moritz Seider.
They will finish a difficult round-robin schedule against the host Czechs in front of a raucous crowd on New Year’s Eve.
Mark Hunter served as general manager with Team Canada for the 2014 tournament when Canada was edged 2-1 by Russia in the bronze medal game after falling to the eventual champions, Finland, in the semi-finals.
Dale Hunter led Canada to a Gold medal at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, now known as the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. It was also played in the Czech Republic,