When Canada takes to the ice at Rogers Place in Edmonton for the first game of the 2021 World Junior Hockey Championship, there will be three players representing Saskatchewan.

Hockey Canada announced what 25 players will don the maple leaf at the tournament and on the list are Saskatoon’s Connor Zary, Prince Albert’s Braden Schneider and Kaeden Korczak of Yorkton.  All three play in the Western Hockey League and are amongst nine Western Hockey League players that will be on the Canadian team.

Zary, who plays for the Kamloops Blazers, was selected in the first round, 24th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames. During the 2019-20 season, Zary had 38 goals, 48 assists and 86 points in 57 games.

Schneider, who is a member of the Brandon Wheat Kings,  narrowly missed making the team a year ago when he was one of the final cuts made for the 2020 roster that ultimately won gold in Ostrava, Czech Republic. In 60 games last season, he had 7 goals and 35 assists for 42 points and was taken with the 19th overall selection in the 2020 NHL draft by the New York Rangers.

Korczak, who suits up for the Kelowna Rockets,  is a draft choice of the Vegas Golden Knights having been taken in the 2nd round of the 2019 draft.   He had 11 goals and 38 assists for the Rockets last season.

This is the most Saskatchewan-born players on a Canadian team since the 2011 tournament.  The four were Jared Cowen, Brayden Schenn, Jaden Schwartz and Carter Ashton.

Canada’s first game at the event is against Germany on Boxing Day.