Kaiden Guhle will try to steer Canada to a gold medal at this year's World Junior Championship. (Lucas Chudleigh/Apollo Multimedia)

By Rob Mahon

WORLD JUNIORS

Raiders captain Guhle named to Canadian WJC camp roster

Dec 1, 2021 | 10:37 AM

Kaiden Guhle came close last year with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship. His second chance at a gold medal is soon to begin.

The veteran defenseman was one of three returning players on the preliminary roster for Team Canada that was announced Wednesday. He is the only defenseman from last year’s silver medal-winning squad that was eligible to return.

As it always does, the tournament will officially begin on Boxing Day, but the work begins before that as the team’s training camp will start on Dec. 8. They will hold two practices before they face the U Sports all-star team on Dec. 11 and 12 as part of their traditional pre-tournament schedule. After that, the plan is that they’ll officially have their full team.

While Canada won’t have the type of intense quarantine they had at last year’s event, there is still a brief quarantine period in Edmonton after that. By the time they get out of that quarantine it will be just over a week until the tournament begins, and less than that until their first pre-tournament game.

In addition to returning to wearing the maple leaf, something Guhle’s done at the WJC, Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and World Under-17 Challenge, it will be a return home for him. Unlike last year, when the tournament was closed to fans, Guhle will be playing just up the road from his hometown of Sherwood Park in a building packed with spectators.

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Guhle was part of a loaded Canadian blueline last year that featured six NHL first-round picks. He finished second in scoring among defensemen on the team with two goals and an assist, trailing only team co-captain Bowen Byram in blueline scoring. Byram was a captain as a returning player last year, and there is an excellent chance Guhle will have the same responsibility.

After missing the start of the season because he was away with the Montreal Canadiens, Guhle has returned to the Raiders and put up two goals and 15 points in 17 games, all while playing his usual hard-nosed style. He scored his first two goals of the season against the Brandon Wheat Kings on Saturday, November 27 providing all the offense in a 2-1 Raiders win.

The rest of the Team Canada selection camp roster includes 14 first-round picks from previous NHL drafts, 15 fellow members of the WHL, and three players who have not yet been drafted.

Canada opens the tournament against the Czech Republic on Boxing Day at 6:00 p.m. Saskatchewan time.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP