A pair of Edmonton Oilers prospects could be representing their teams on the World Junior stage later this month.
On Monday, Team Canada announced the players invited to the World Junior camp, with right-shot defenceman Beau Akey being the only Oiler on the roster.
Moreover, Team USA announced their camp roster that features Oilers’ defensive prospect Paul Fischer. 
Starting with Akey, the right-shot defenceman was selected 56th overall in the 2023 draft by the Oilers after scoring 11 goals and 47 points in 66 games for the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League in 2022-23. Sadly, he lost a development year in 2023-24, playing just 14 games with four goals and nine points before a season-ending shoulder injury.
Akey returned to the Colts this season, where he had four goals and 16 points in 22 games. The Colts have a 17-8-0 record with 34 points, second in the OHL’s Eastern Conference. 
Other right-shot defencemen who made the camp include Cameron Allen, Oliver Bonk, Harrison Brunicke, and Andrew Gibson. Notably, Akey got the nod over Calgary Flames’ prospect Zayne Parekh, selected ninth overall in the 2024 draft, and Ottawa Senators’ prospect Carter Yakemchuk, selected seventh overall in the 2024 draft.
Unfortunately, no other Oiler prospect will get an opportunity to crack Team Canada’s roster this season. That includes their first-round selection in the 2024 draft, Sam O’Reilly. So far this season, the London Knight forward has nine goals and 20 points in 24 games after putting up 20 goals and 56 points in 68 games last season.
O’Reilly’s teammate, William Nicholl, was selected in the seventh round of the same draft and has had a great start to his season. After scoring six goals and 20 points in 65 games for the Knights last season, the 18-year-old centre has 10 goals and 26 points in 26 games as the Knights are off to a 22-4-0 record this season.
Flint Firebirds netminder Nathaniel Day, was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 draft by the Oilers. So far this season, he has an .886 save percentage and a 3.05 goals-against average in 22 games, with a 10-11-1 record. The Firebirds have started the 2024-25 season with an 11-13-1 record for 23 points, seventh in the Ontario Hockey League’s Western Conference.
As for Fischer, the left-shot defenceman was acquired via a trade with the St. Louis Blues in the summer and he has nine assists for Notre Dame as a sophomore. Last season, the 19-year-old scored two goals and 16 points in 34 games.
Don’t be surprised if the Oilers’ second-round pick in 2024, netminder Eemil Vinni, also makes Team Finland’s camp. Coming off back surgery, the netminder has a .905 save percentage in six games with HIFK’s u20 team in Finland. According to The Athletic, he’s projected to be Team Finland’s starting netminder.
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