Matthew Wood feels a gnawing sense of unfinished business.
The forward from Nanaimo, who played in the B.C. Hockey League for the Victoria Grizzlies, is on the verge of becoming a rare two-time player for Canada at the world junior championship. Wood was among the 32 players invited Monday to the selection camp Dec. 10-13 at TD Place in Ottawa for the 2025 tournament that begins Boxing Day at Canadian Tire Centre in the nation’s capital.
Wood was part of the Canadian team that was stunned 3-2 by Czechia in the quarter-finals of the 2024 world juniors in Gothenburg, Sweden.
“We were pretty upset last year and didn’t do as well as we wanted,” said Wood, from Minneapolis, where he plays for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers of the NCAA Big Ten.
He knows how much the tournament matters to Canadian hockey fans.
“It’s a big holiday event for Canadians. I think even non-hockey people in Canada heard about it last year [failing to medal]. So, yes, you can call it unfinished business.”
The tournament has its following but is at its best when hosted in Canada.
“It’s special and a real opportunity to play in the world juniors in Canada,” said Wood.
Not that he is taking anything for granted. The 32-player selection camp roster will be pared down to 23 players for the tournament. Wood, selected 15th overall by the Nashville Predators in the first round of the 2023 NHL draft, has four goals and 18 points in 16 games with the Golden Gophers this season, and it’s hard to imagine a returning player not making the national team.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity and excited for the camp,” said the six-foot-four power-forward.
“The national-team camps are short and to the point but they are a cool experience to go through.”
The Islander is among seven returning Canadian players from 2024, including Oliver Bonk, Easton Cowan, Tanner Molendyk, Scott Ratzlaff, Carson Rehkopf and Brayden Yager.
Wood is the lone player from the NCAA selected for the Canadian camp, although fellow BCHL alumnus and Carolina Hurricanes first-round draft pick Bradley Nadeau out of the Penticton Vees played at the University of Maine and is now a pro in the AHL. But all that could change with the recent decision to allow Canadian Hockey League players to play in the NCAA.
“I think the NCAA college route could take a big jump [for Canadian players] because of that,” said Wood.
The U.S., comprised mostly of NCAA players, won the 2024 world junior championship with 10 players returning. The American roster for Ottawa will also include projected 2025 NHL draft top-pick James Hagens of Boston College.
Meanwhile, the Canadian camp will include 12 players from the Western Hockey League, including Ratzlaff, Yager and Molendyk. Other WHL notables include Gavin McKenna from the Medicine Hat Tigers, Berkly Catton from the Spokane Chiefs, Riley Heidt from Prince George Cougars and Andrew Cristall and Caden Price from the Kelowna Rockets.
Following the selection camp, Canada will hold its training camp in Petawawa, Ont. from Dec. 15-18 with two games against the U Sports all-stars. Canada will also play Switzerland, Sweden and Czechia in pre-tournament games before opening the 2025 world juniors against Finland on Boxing Day.
