Two Flyers prospects named to Team Canada’s preliminary World Juniors roster

Flyers prospects Oliver Bonk and Denver Barkey were named to Team Canada’s preliminary roster for the World Junior Championships on Monday.

Canada’s selection camp begins Sunday in Oakville, Ontario, with 30 players vying for 25 spots at the under-20 tournament in Gothenburg, Sweden. Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier was already named to the United States’ preliminary roster on Monday. The tournament will run from Dec. 26-Jan. 5.

The pair are teammates with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. Both were selected by the Flyers in the 2023 draft.

Bonk, son of Czech former hockey player Radek Bonk, was the 22nd overall pick in June. The defenseman has 26 points through 26 games with London this season. Bonk signed his three-year, entry-level deal with the Flyers in August.

» READ MORE: Flyers prospect rankings: Where does Oliver Bonk rank?

Barkey, who was selected in the third round by the Flyers (No. 93 overall), has 35 points through 26 games with the Knights as a center. Bonk and Barkey both played on Canada’s under-18 team in 2022, and won gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Also on Canada’s preliminary roster are several top prospects for the 2024 NHL draft, including forward Macklin Celebrini, an early front-runner to be the No. 1 overall pick. Celebrini has 25 points in 15 games for Boston University as a 17-year-old.