Star-studded Canada set to begin quest for 20th world juniors gold medal

Connor Bedard sees the reminder every time he's back home.

His gold medal from the last world junior hockey championship — a tournament that was moved to the summer and almost didn't happen because of COVID-19 — hangs in the 17-year-old phenom's bedroom.

And the presumptive No. 1 pick at the 2023 NHL draft is eager for more.

"Feels like when you win it, it lasts 10 minutes," Bedard said. "You want that again right away."

Another opportunity is right around the corner.

Apart from the North Vancouver, B.C., product, already being compared to the likes of Connor McDavid and other franchise-altering talents, Canada boasts a trio of NHL players loaned to the national team in Shane Wright, Dylan Guenther and Brandt Clarke.

"World juniors are something that you grew up watching as a kid and dream playing in," said Wright, a centre selected No. 4 overall by the Seattle Kraken at the 2021 draft. "A huge honour."

"We don't want to get too ahead of ourselves," added Guenther, a forward with the Arizona Coyotes. "One last shot at winning a world junior championship is special."

Bedard said Canada's roster will feature "a bit of everything."

"Whenever you're assembling a team across Canada, it's going to be pretty good," he said. "We've got a lot of size, we've got speed, skill. It's huge getting those [NHL] guys back.

"Those are all impact players in the best league in the world."

WATCH | Canada beats Slovakia in men's world juniors pre-tournament game:

Adam Fantilli — also in the conversation at the top of the upcoming NHL draft — has been impressed with the roster top-to-bottom.

"The best players in the country in one spot," he said. "Great to see what everybody can do."

Canada opens the tournament Monday against Czechia, the