The Jets selected the Coquitlam, BC netminder in the fifth round, 151st overall at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Milic would spend the majority of the 2023/24 season in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose, playing 33 games and finishing with a 2.72GAA and .900SV%.

Milic spent the previous three seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Seattle Thunderbirds, posting a 60-23-5 record, 8 shutouts, a 2.35GAA and .917SV% in 91 games. During the 2022/23 season Milic would help Seattle capture a WHL Championship while being named to the WHL (US Division) First All-Star Team, the WHL Playoffs MVP, and WHL Top Goaltender Award winner while leading the WHL with a 2.08GAA and .928SV%. He would help Canada capture a Gold Medal at the 2023 World Juniors.

Prior to his WHL career Milic played three seasons in the ²´˜·ŠÊ˜·³Çapp with BWC Academy. In 2017/18 he would be named the ²´˜·ŠÊ˜·³Çapp U15 Top Goaltender, capturing that award again in 2019/20 in the U18 Prep division. Milic would also lead the U18 Prep division with a .946SV%. After the 2017/18 U15 Prep season he would be selected by the Thunderbirds in the third round, 51st overall at the 2018 WHL Draft.

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Selected first overall by the Blackhawks at the 2023 NHL Draft, Bedard played two seasons in the ²´˜·ŠÊ˜·³Çapp with West Van Academy (now known as North Shore Warriors). During the 2018/19 U15 Prep season the North Vancouver, BC forward would lead all skaters with 64 goals and 88 points in 30 games while being named the ²´˜·ŠÊ˜·³Çapp U15 Prep Division MVP. His 64 goals are still a single season ²´˜·ŠÊ˜·³Çapp U15 Prep record.

Bedard would be granted exceptional status in 2019/20, allowing him to play in the U18 Prep division at just 14 years old. He would again lead the division in goals (43) and points (84), earning ²´˜·ŠÊ˜·³Çapp U18 Prep Division MVP honours. Despite playing just two seasons and 68 games in the ²´˜·ŠÊ˜·³Çapp, Bedard ranks second all time with 110 goals and 11th with 176 points.

At the conclusion of the season the Regina Pats would select Bedard first overall at the 2020 Western Hockey League (WHL) Draft. After a brief stint in Sweden due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bedard would become the first player in WHL history to earn exceptional status, allowing him to join the league a year early, as a 15 year old. That season Bedard would tally 12 goals and 16 assists in 15 WHL games, all tops among WHL Rookies, earning him the WHL Rookie of the Year Award. Bedard would also represent Team Canada at the U18 World Championships, scoring 7 goals and 7 assists in 7 games as he was named to the All-Star team and a Top 3 Player on Canada, helping Canada capture gold.

During the 2020/21 season, as a 16 year old, Bedard would finish second among WHL skaters in goals (51) and fourth in points (100). His 51 goals were 24 more than next highest on his team, while his 100 points were 31 more than next closest. His 49 assists were also tops among Pats skaters as he earned WHL (East) First All-Star Team honours.

Bedard would captain Team Canada at the 2021 U18 World Championships, recording seven points in four games while again being named a Top 3 Player on Canada. He would also play for Canada at the 2022 U20 World Juniors, finishing with eight points in seven games as Canada captured gold.

This season Bedard would lead all WHL skaters with 71 goals (21 more than second), 72 assists and 143 points (36 more than second). His impressive WHL season would earn him the following awards:

• (143)
• (72)
• (71)
• (143)

Bedard would again represent Team Canada at the 2023 U20 World Junior, leading the team to a gold medal.

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Bankier played in the ²´˜·ŠÊ˜·³Çapp (²´˜·ŠÊ˜·³Çapp) for two seasons, joining BWC Academy in 2017/18 for the U15 Prep season. He would record 28 points in 30 games and was selected in the third round, 49th overall at the 2018 Western Hockey League (WHL) Draft by the Kamloops Blazers. Bankierr would return to BWC Academy the following U18 Prep season where he would tally 53 points in 32 games.

In 2019/20 the White Rock, BC forward joined the Blazers, playing 55 games and finishing with 20 points. During the COVID-19 shortened 2020/21 season Bankier would tally 23 points in 22 games before being selected by the Wild at the conclusion of the season. In 46 WHL games this season with the Blazers Bankier has 66 points.

Bankier represented Team Canada at the 2023 World Juniors where he recorded one point in seven games, helping Canada capture a gold medal.

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Former Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX) forward Dylan Guenther scored the ‘Golden Goal’ 3:38 into overtime as Canada defeated Czechia 3-2. At the 2022 event in Edmonton, AB this summer, former BWC Academy forward Kent Johnson was the hero for Canada with an overtime goal of his own against Finland.

The 2023 World Juniors, which took place in Halifax and New Brunswick from December 26, 2022-January 5, 2023, saw nine ²´˜·ŠÊ˜·³Çapp alumni play for Canada.

Among the 22 players on Team Canada included 9 ²´˜·ŠÊ˜·³Çapp alumni:

• Caeden Bankier – Kamloops Blazers/WHL (BWC Academy)
• Connor Bedard – Regina Pats/WHL (West Van Academy)
• Colton Dach – Seattle Thunderbirds/WHL (OHA Edmonton)
• Dylan Guenther – Arizona Coyotes/NHL (Northern Alberta Xtreme)
• Thomas Milic – Seattle Thunderbirds/WHL (BWC Academy)
• Zack Ostapchuk – Winnipeg Ice/WHL (Northern Alberta Xtreme)
• Reid Schaefer – Seattle Thunderbirds/WHL (OHA Edmonton)
• Logan Stankoven – Kamloops Blazers/WHL (Yale Hockey Academy)
• Olen Zellweger – Kamloops Blazers/WHL (OHA Edmonton)

Bedard, Ostapchuk, Stankoven and Zellweger all represented Canada at the 2022 World Juniors, taking home a gold medal after defeating Finland in overtime in the Gold Medal game. Guenther was part of the 2022 World Junior team during the initial December 2021 based tournament that was eventually shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to an injury, he was unable to participate in the re-run this past summer.

Underage player Bedard was named MVP of the tournament after leading all skaters with 23 points in 7 games. His 23 points at a single World Junior Event are the third most all time behind Swedish stars Peter Forsberg (31) and Markus Naslund (24), and most among all Canadian players, passing Dale McCourt and Brayden Schenn (18). Bedard’s 36 career points and 17 goals are both Canadian records, surpassing Eric Lindros (31) and Jordan Eberle (14).

With 11 points in 7 games Stankoven, along with Bedard, were named as two of Canada’s Top Three Players of the Tournament. Stankoven sits ninth all time among Canadian skaters with 22 career points at the World Juniors.

A forward from Surrey, BC, Bankier had one assist in seven games while playing a key role on the penalty kill for Canada.

Dach suffered an unfortunate tournament ending injury in the round robin, finishing the tournament with two points in four games.

Guenther finished the tournament with seven goals and three assists, including two goals in the gold medal game.

Milic played in six games, starting five including the semi-final against the U.S.A. and gold medal game against Czechia. He finished with a 1.76 GAA. 932 Save %, and 5-1-0 record.

Ostapchuk, a forward from St. Albert, AB, scored two goals and one assist while playing key role on the penalty kill alongside Bankier.

Schaefer played in all seven games for Canada, adding one assist and two penalty minutes.

Zellweger recorded six points in seven games giving him a career total of 18 points at the World Juniors, second among all Canadian defenseman, 7 behind long time NHLer Ryan Ellis.

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The 22-man roster, which includes 2 goaltenders, 7 defencemen and 13 forwards, will represent Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, December 26-Jan. 5 in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick.

Among the 22 players include 9 ²´˜·ŠÊ˜·³Çapp alumni:

• Caeden Bankier – Kamloops Blazers/WHL (BWC Academy)
• Connor Bedard – Regina Pats/WHL (West Van Academy)
• Colton Dach – Kelowna Rockets/WHL (OHA Edmonton)
• Dylan Guenther – Arizona Coyotes/NHL (Northern Alberta Xtreme)
• Thomas Milic – Seattle Thunderbirds/WHL (BWC Academy)
• Zack Ostapchuk – Vancouver Giants/WHL (Northern Alberta Xtreme)
• Reid Schaefer – Seattle Thunderbirds/WHL (OHA Edmonton)
• Logan Stankoven – Kamloops Blazers/WHL (Yale Hockey Academy)
• Olen Zellweger – Everett Silvertips/WHL (OHA Edmonton)

Bedard, Ostapchuk, Stankoven and Zellweger all represented Canada at the 2022 World Juniors, taking home a gold medal after defeating Finland in overtime in the Gold Medal game. Guenther was part of the 2022 World Junior team during the initial December 2021 based tournament that was eventually shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to an injury, he was unable to participate in the re-run this past summer where his teammates captured gold.

The 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship begins on Boxing Day with Canada kicking off its tournament schedule against the Czechia. In addition to its opening-night match-up, Canada will also play Germany on Dec. 28, Austria on Dec. 29 and Sweden on Dec. 31 to wrap up preliminary-round action.

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