By Aaron Bell
When Hockey Canada announced the list of players that will participate in their final selection camp before the 2010 World Junior Championships next month in Saskatoon, 12 Ontario Hockey League stars crossed off a big item on their Christmas wish lists.
OHL forwards Cody Hodgson of the Brampton Battalion and Stefan Della Rovere of the Barrie Colts and defenceman Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires will get the chance to help Canada win its sixth straight World Junior gold medal and second in a row on home ice when the tournament opens on Boxing Day in Saskatchewan.
Plymouth Whalers' goaltender Matt Hackett, defenceman Calvin de Haan of the Oshawa Generals and Shawn Lalonde of the Belleville Bulls and forwards Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique and Greg Nemisz of the Windsor Spitfires, Nazem Kadri of the London Knights, John McFarland of the Sudbury Wolves and Tyler Seguin of the Plymouth Whalers will also get a crack at making the lineup.
Former Niagara IceDogs' captain Alex Pietrangelo has spent this season in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues but the club announced that Pietrangelo would be released to play in the tournament after helping Canada win gold last year in Ottawa.
Kadri was invited to the final camp last year but was coming off of a broken jaw and wasn't able to play at a high enough level to make the team. He is anxious to get another chance this year.
"It would've been great to be on that team, but it was tough to watch," Kadri told the London Free Press. "It was in Ottawa, our nation's capital, and I wanted to be a part of it.
"I've wanted to play on that team since I was a little kid."
Hall was also at the final camp last year before the tournament in Ottawa but wasn't able to crack the roster. The OHL scoring leader is determined to make the team this year.
"Last year was a big disappointment," Hall told the Windsor Star after the SUBWAY Super Series game in Windsor last week. "This year, I feel I can be a lot more competitive."
Hall, Henrique and Nemisz played on a line together during the SUBWAY Super Series and hope to get the chance to play together again in Saskatoon with their Spitfires' teammate Ellis.
"They're two good players and they're pretty underrated," Hall said about Henrique and Nemisz. "They fly under the radar, but we know important they are here."
"Their performance last year at the Memorial Cup and also this year's performance speaks for itself," said Spitfires' GM Warren Rychel. "They are all proven winners."
Meanwhile Hodgson, who hasn't played for the Battalion since being released from the Vancouver Canucks in October, was one of the best players in the tournament last year and is a likely candidate to be named captain this year.
He has reportedly recovered from a back ailment and is expected to be in Saskatoon when the final selection camp opens next Saturday.
