GUELPH—A Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory member who plays for the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has been selected as one of 30 players to attend Canada’s national junior team selection camp ahead of the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Michael Buchinger, who was born in Markham but is a Wiikwemkoong band member is a defenceman with the Guelph Storm. He has appeared in 26 games this season, notching six goals and 17 assists for 23 points. The Storm blueliner signed a three-year entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League earlier this year, after being selected 88th overall in the 2022 NHL draft.
Mr. Buchinger, who is 19, is one of the 30 players invited to Team Canada’s selection camp, December 10-13 in Oakville. The 30 players including four goaltenders, 10 defencemen and 16 forwards will compete for a chance to join Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship December 26-January 5 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
“We’re excited to name the 30 players who will embark on the journey through camp and eventually on to the World Juniors,” said Peter Anholt, the under-20 lead for the Program of Excellence management group. “Canada has an incredible talent pool of players, and there are always difficult decisions to narrow it down. We are expecting a highly competitive camp, and we look forward to naming our final roster that will wear the Maple Leaf with pride starting on Boxing Day. Selection camp will take place at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville and will include practices and a pair of games against a team of U Sports all-stars, December 12-13.
“We are grateful to the town of Oakville for hosting us and assisting us in our preparation for the World Juniors and we are excited to give fans the opportunity to see the best under-20 players in Canada,” said Scott Salmond, senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations with Hockey Canada. “This camp, including the two games against U Sports, will give us the best chance to assemble the top players to represent our country on the world stage.”
Canada’s national team will travel to Malmo, Switzerland on December 14 for a pre-tournament camp ahead of the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship. As part of its preparations, Canada will open its pre-tournament schedule against a U25 team from Denmark on December 19 before facing Switzerland on December 22 and the United States on December 23.
The 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship begins on Boxing Day when Canada takes on Finland.
