The countdown to Christmas isn’t the only thing Canadian hockey fans are marking off in December.

The World Junior Championship is just around the corner, and with it comes the excitement of a potential gold medal run on home ice. On Monday, Team Canada announced their 32-player invite list for their pre-tournament selection camp, set to take place in Ottawa from December 10-13. Among the invitees is Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio.

Mynio, a 2023 third-round pick of the Canucks, made an impression on Team Canada head coach Dave Cameron during his strong showing at the World Junior Summer Showcase earlier this year. In a post-tournament interview, Cameron noted his game’s poise and completeness.

“I liked his game, overall. We talked about how we want to be a team that gets pucks to the net, and I think his goal was just that.

“I liked his game … for the fact it was pretty well-rounded.”

Currently sidelined with an upper-body injury, Mynio hasn’t seen game action since November 8th. Fortunately, the injury isn’t expected to interfere with his attendance at camp and eventually competing for his spot on Team Canada.

Recently named co-captain for the Seattle Thunderbirds, the Kamloops native has racked up 17 points (4 goals, 13 assists) in 15 games in the WHL this season despite missing time. Fresh off a career-best 53 points in 63 games last year, his steady two-way game has drawn plenty of attention from scouts across the league.

This would mark Mynio’s first Team Canada event if he successfully makes the team out of camp.

The list of camp invitees isn’t without controversy, as several notable names were surprisingly left off the roster. Among the snubs are Zayne Parekh, Mynio’s summer defensive partner, as well as Beckett Sennecke (the third overall pick in the 2024 draft), Tij Iginla (sixth overall), Carter Yakemchuk (seventh overall), and highly-touted netminder Joshua Ravensbergen, who was expected to be in the mix for a spot in the crease.

Team Canada will look to earn Gold on home soil, with the tournament taking place in Ottawa from December 26 to January 5.