SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. – Noah Dobson of Summerside has one more step to overcome before returning to the international stage.
The Acadie-Bathurst Titan defenceman and team captain was one of 34 players announced on Monday to attend Team Canada’s selection camp for the world junior hockey championship.
The 18-year-old son of Andrew and Jenny Dobson, who has eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in 26 regular-season games with the Titan this season, is no stranger to international hockey, and he won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka under-18 tournament.
Dobson was a key contributor to the Titan winning the 2017-18 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Memorial Cup championships.
The New York Islanders selected Dobson in the first round, 12th overall, in the 2018 National Hockey League Entry Draft.
Click here for story on Noah Dobson drafted by New York Islanders:
Joseph invited
Charlottetown Islanders captain Pierre-Olivier Joseph is also off to Victoria, B.C., after being named to Team Canada's world junior hockey team selection camp. The camp runs from Dec. 10 to 14.
The 19-year-old defenceman is in his second year as Islanders captain and after a slow start since returning from Arizona Coyotes camp, the first-round pick in 2017 has seven goals, 20 points and a plus-six plus-minus ratio in 24 games. Joseph, a Chambly, Que., native, played in the world junior showcase with teammate Matthew Welsh earlier this year in Kamloops, B.C. Welsh wasn't invited to the selection camp.
Moncton Wildcats forward Jeremy McKenna of Summerside was also not invited to the selection camp, despite sitting second in QMJHL scoring with 50 points – 20 goals and 30 assists – in 30 games.
Islanders head coach and general manager Jim Hulton is an assistant coach with Team Canada's world junior squad.
The main tournament runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Vancouver and Victoria. Canada plays in Pool A with the Czech Republic, Denmark, Russia and Switzerland. Pre-tournament games start Dec. 18.
The first of three selection camp games versus the U Sports all-star team begins Dec. 12.
Canada defeated Sweden 3-1 to win the gold medal in last year's event.
