Oliver Bonk, Jett Luchanko among four Flyers prospects invited to Canada’s World Junior camp
The Flyers have four players among the 32 invites vying to make Canada's roster for the tournament in Ottawa, Ontario.
On a day that seemed to bring good news for a pair of Flyers stalwarts with Canadian roots, four potential future Flyers got some good news of their own as they were named to Canada’s World Juniors selection camp.
Defenseman Oliver Bonk, forwards Jett Luchanko and Denver Barkey, and goaltender Carson Bjarnason were among the 32 players named to the camp which will begin on Dec. 10 in Ottawa, Ontario. Canada will open the IIHF World Junior Championship on Dec. 26 in Ottawa and will carry a roster of 25 players (23 active) for the tournament.
The Hockey Canada announcement came after the Flyers all but confirmed that Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim have made Canada’s roster for the Nations Face-Off in February, the first best-on-best international hockey tournament in eight years.
Bonk, 19, played in the World Junior tournament last year, registering three assists in five games before unfortunately redirecting Czechia’s overtime-winning goal into his own net in the quarterfinals. The 2023 first-rounder, who has six goals and 21 points in 22 games for London of the Ontario Hockey League this season, is expected to play a lead role for Team Canada at the tournament in his hometown. His London teammate, Barkey, was one of the last cuts for last year’s team but the gritty 5-foot-9 forward will be hoping to crack the always-loaded Canadian outfit this time around. Barkey, a 2023 third-round pick of the Flyers, has four goals and 24 assists in 21 games for London.
Luchanko’s inclusion also comes as no surprise, as the No. 13 overall pick from June’s draft had a strong summer to surprisingly earn a spot on the Flyers’ season-opening roster. Since returning to his junior team, the Guelph Storm, after a four-game cameo with the Flyers, Luchanko has scored five goals and dished out 11 assists in 13 games. Luchanko and Bonk would seem to be locks to make the team.
Last but not least, Bjarnason has been recognized for his strong start to the season. The 6-3 netminder is tied for third in the Western Hockey League with a .913 save percentage, which has gone a long way in helping keep the Brandon Wheat Kings competitive. Los Angeles Kings prospect Carter George is the favorite to start between the pipes for Team Canada.
June draft picks Jack Berglund (Sweden) and Heikki Ruohonen (Finland) are two other Flyers prospects who could participate in the tournament.