Two Sharks prospects named to WJC camp rosters, another sets off massive teddy bear toss

After his prolific start to his Ontario Hockey League season, defenseman and San Jose Sharks prospect Sam Dickinson has been named to the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp roster.

Dickinson, 18, has a staggering 45 points in 24 games for the London Knights so far this season, making him the OHL’s third-leading scorer. On Sunday, Dickinson had two goals and three assists in London’s 10-3 win over the Ottawa 67s.

Dickinson, who the Sharks selected 11th overall at the NHL Draft in June, is one of 10 defensemen invited to the camp, which has 32 players in all and runs from Dec. 10 to 13 in Ottawa. The roster that will compete for Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championships will be announced shortly afterward.

Dickinson, a Toronto native, was the only Sharks prospect invited to the Canadian camp. Forward Carson Wetsch, defensemen Colton Roberts, and Nate Misskey — all drafted by the Sharks earlier this year — will remain with their respective CHL teams.

Last year’s Canadian world junior team featured center Macklin Celebrini, who has 14 points in 15 games for the Sharks this season and was just named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for November.

Defenseman Jake Furlong, who had four points in 14 games for the San Jose Barracuda, was also on that Canadian team that reached the quarterfinal round before losing 3-2 to Czechia.

SVOBODA ON EARLY U.S. ROSTER: Center Brandon Svoboda, selected by the Sharks in the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft, was among 28 players named to the preliminary roster of the 2025 U.S. national junior team. The group’s training camp will be at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich., from Dec. 16-17.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Svoboda, from Level Green, Penn., is among 15 forwards invited to the camp. Now in his freshman season at Boston University, Svoboda has three goals in nine games for the Terriers.

Quentin Musty, a first-round selection by the Sharks last year, had hoped to be part of the U.S. team’s preliminary camp roster, but he broke his hand in a game for the Sudbury Wolves last month.

This year’s World Junior Championships begin on Dec. 26 in Ottawa. Other Sharks prospects, such as forward Kasper Halttunen (Finland), goalie Christian Kirsch (Switzerland), and defenseman Leo Sahlin Wallenius (Sweden), are among those who could also participate.

GORDIE HOWE HAT TRICK: Wetsch had a memorable night Sunday for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League.

First, Wetsch scored 95 seconds into the Hitmen’s game against the Moose Jaw Warriors, setting off a massive toss of stuffed animals onto the ice at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Later, the 18-year-old Wetsch, a round-selection by the Sharks and a childhood friend of Celebrini’s, picked up a fighting major at the 17:17 mark in the first period and assisted on a goal in the third period to complete the Gordie Howe hat trick.

Wetsch, a North Vancouver native, has 18 points and 26 penalty minutes in 25 games this season.

Sunday’s event was the 29th annual Teddy Bear toss for the Hitmen. Officially, 22,013 stuffed animals were thrown over the glass and onto the ice by 16,869 fans in attendance.