OTTAWA -- Canada forward Connor McDavid shook off the rust after a five-week layoff in a 5-2 win against Sweden on Sunday in an exhibition game ahead of the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.

McDavid, 17, played for the first time since breaking a bone in his right hand in a fight while playing for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League on Nov. 11. He had an assist on Canada's fourth goal, scored by Anaheim Ducks prospect Shea Theodore, in front of 13,826 at Canadian Tire Centre.

"Not playing in 40 days, you're about as rusty as you can possible get," McDavid said. "I thought my legs felt pretty good. The game speed was pretty high. Some plays happened pretty quick, but overall I thought it went all right."

Projected to be a top pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, McDavid played on a line with Ottawa Senators forward Curtis Lazar and forward Nick Ritchie, an Anaheim Ducks prospect.

OTTAWA – Connor McDavid and Curtis Lazar can expect to see a lot of each for the next couple of weeks.

The Canadian forwards will be roommates during the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship and will play on a line together Sunday when McDavid, projected to be a top pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, returns to play for the first time since breaking a finger in a fight Nov. 11 while playing for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League.

Canada plays Sweden on Sunday at the Canadian Tire Centre in an exhibition game leading up to the start of the tournament Dec. 26.

Auston Matthews may be the youngest player at the U.S. National Junior Camp but he'll likely have a big role on the U.S. team at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship. (Photo: Tom Sorensen)

BOSTON -- Center Auston Matthews is the youngest player taking part in the United States National Junior Team selection camp this week at Walter Brown Arena on the campus of Boston University.

It also appears he'll be a big part of the U.S. team that plays in the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, which begins Dec. 26 in Toronto and Montreal.

If top 2015 NHL Draft prospect Jack Eichel doesn't become the first American-born player since 2007 to be the first pick of an NHL draft, than Matthews, 17, could earn that distinction at the 2016 draft. Matthews missed the cut for the 2015 draft by two days.

Don Granato, who coaches Matthews on the United States National Team Development Program under-18 team in Ann Arbor, Mich., said the future is limitless for Matthews, a 6-foot, 199-pound left-handed shot.

BOSTON -- On the way to the 2013 gold medal, the United States World Junior Team set a standard by allowing nine goals in seven games.

In addition to goaltender John Gibson's performance, the United States benefited from a nearly perfect balance of all the elements of the game on its defense, led by current Nashville Predators defenseman Seth Jones and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba.

One year after the United States lost in the 2014 quarterfinals to Russia and failed to bring home a medal, it's again in search of that perfect mix of defensemen who can suffocate the opposition's scoring and push the tempo to contribute to the offense.

BOSTON -- What happens when three friends also happen to be in competition for the right to earn the primary role as starting goaltender for the United States at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship?

It comes down to survival of the fittest and the best, quite honestly, during USA Hockey's four-day selection camp at Walter Brown Arena on the campus of Boston University.

The three goalies, all 2014 NHL Draft picks, are Boston College sophomore Thatcher Demko (Vancouver Canucks, No. 36), Alex Nedeljkovic (Carolina Hurricanes, No. 37) of the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario Hockey League and Brandon Halverson (New York Rangers, No. 59) of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the OHL.

"The other two guys are fantastic goalies," Demko said. "I know that if I don't show up ready for a practice they'll be stopping the pucks. It just keeps you on your toes and pushes you."

BOSTON -- Just because Jack Eichel was the youngest player on the roster, he wasn't necessarily eased into action for the United States National Junior Team during the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden.

He played a top-six role and earned valuable minutes in key moments of every game. He also learned some valuable lessons.

"This is a tournament about being disciplined and being resilient," Eichel said. "Those are two things the coaches really stressed. If you have a bad shift or game, you need to remember it's a three-week tournament and not one or two games. It's all about getting to the medal round, getting into the playoffs, and then moving through your bracket beating those top teams."

Jim Johannson, general manager of the United States National Junior Team, anticipates some tough decisions to be made this week when many young American hopefuls begin their push to earning roster spots for their country at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Coach Mark Osiecki will lead 30 invites at the USA Hockey selection camp that will take place on the campus of Boston University at Walter Brown Arena, Tuesday through Friday. The final 23-man roster, which will likely be revealed Dec. 24, might include 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goaltenders, according to Johannson.

"We'll do a combination of scrimmaging and practicing at camp where we can get into our philosophy and how we want to play as a team in building our identity," Osiecki said. "But I do want to have the competitive situations where we can see these kids compete against each other. The good thing is that we have a tremendous staff of player personnel people, so we have a lot of eyes on these guys."

TORONTO – Some young men might be disappointed if their NHL team opted to send them back to junior hockey, even if it meant they were able to play at the World Junior Championship.

Anthony Duclair is not one of them.

The 19-year-old left wing for the New York Rangers, a Montreal native, jumped at the opportunity to join Canada for the 2015 WJC, which will be divided between his hometown and Toronto.

"I'm very happy and very excited to be here," Duclair said Friday at Canada's training camp. "(Rangers coach) Alain Vigneault asked me a couple of days after the roster came out what my thoughts were and I told him I wanted to be part of this tournament. With the tournament being in Canada and in my hometown, I really wanted to be a part of this and I'm happy I'm here."

TORONTO -- Zach is back.

Goaltender Zachary Fucale is hoping to improve on his performance at the World Junior Championship a year ago in Sweden and hopes some of the lessons he learned will benefit his team when Canada hosts the tournament starting Dec. 26.

Canada placed fourth at the 2014 WJC.

"We learned a lot," Fucale said. "It was a tough loss, but now it's a new year and a new team, so we're looking forward to it. For me, there are a lot of things I have changed from last year. I have become better mentally, stronger physically, and technically everything has gotten better. I feel great coming to this event. It is a great opportunity, so I am just looking forward to the whole experience and living the moment."

TORONTO -- When Sam Reinhart looked around the dressing room at Toronto’s MasterCard Centre on the opening night of the final training camp for the Canada’s National Junior Team, he saw a lot of familiar and friendly faces.

Reinhart is one of seven returnees vying for a spot on the roster that will represent Canada on its home ice in the IIHF World Junior Championship, to be played in Montreal and Toronto beginning Dec. 26.

He said the seven returnees have the benefit of knowing what to expect in such a high-profile event.