Trio of Flyers Prospects Make Canada World Juniors Roster; Barkey Cut

Hockey Canada has officially announced their roster for the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship with three Philadelphia Flyers prospects making the cut, but with one surprising omission.

Forwards Denver Barkey and Jett Luchanko, defenseman Oliver Bonk, and goaltender Carson Bjarnason were all included in the selection camp roster, but Barkey was the lone member of the aforementioned quartet that missed out on the final roster.

As is generally the case for international tournaments featuring Canada, they have to make very difficult roster decisions with how stacked they tend to be. Despite Barkey not making the official roster, Canada boasts a very strong group of forwards.

Nevertheless, it’s a disappointing moment for Barkey, who was drafted by the Flyers in the third round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. He was also the only London Knight who failed to make the roster that includes Bonk, Easton Cowan, and Sam Dickinson.

Luchanko and Bjarnason will be representing Canada for the first time at the World Junior Championship, while this will be the second tournament for Bonk who took part in last year’s edition with 3 assists in 5 games.

Luchanko has 7 goals and 20 points in 16 games for the Guelph Storm since rejoining his junior club after an early-season stint with the Flyers. Bonk has had a quieter season compared to last season but has still accumulated 21 points in 24 games, while Bjarnason has sported an 8-6-2 record with a .913 SV% and a 2.90 GAA with the Brandon Wheat Kings.

This year’s tournament is taking place in Ottawa, Ontario, and begins on the 26th of December and runs through the 5th of January. Canada is in the same group as the United States, Finland, Latvia, and Germany as they look to avenge a tough quarterfinals defeat from last year.