Canada's world junior team found out yesterday it will not be getting any help from the National Hockey League.

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John Tavares gives a thumbs up as members of the Canadian Junior team arrive at the Ottawa airport for the final camp before being chosen for the final squad to challenge for the World Junior Championship.

Photograph by : Ottawa Citizen

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That news was not unexpected because most NHL teams had already signalled their intentions concerning their junior-aged players. Nor is it disastrous, given the depth of the talent pool in Canada.

But until the last minute, Hockey Canada officials had kept their fingers crossed that at least one of the NHL players eligible to play in the world juniors would be released.

Yesterday, however, with players arriving in Ottawa for the national junior team selection camp, Brad Pascal, senior director of the men's national teams, got the word that all the eligible NHL players are staying put. The list included: Kyle Turris (Phoenix), Colton Gillies (Minnesota), Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay), Brandon Sutter (Carolina), Drew Doughty (Los Angeles), Luke Schenn (Toronto), Josh Bailey (New York Islanders) and Sam Gagner (Edmonton).

This is not to say that this year's version of Team Canada will be without veteran leadership when the junior world hockey championships begin in Ottawa on Dec. 26.

Four players have been invited back from last year's gold-medal team: John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals, Thomas Hickey of the Seattle Thunderbirds, PK Subban of the Belleville Bulls and Zach Boychuk of the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

There were only two returnees on last year's team and just four the year before.

The first of three red-white selection camp games will be held tonight at Scotiabank Place. Tomorrow's game will be at the Robert Guertin Arena in Gatineau and Sunday's game will be played at Scotiabank Place. All three games will start at 6 p.m.

On Monday, the final roster of 22 will be named and the team will head to CFB Petawawa for two days of team building before heading to Orangeville, just outside Toronto, for another day of practice.

A couple of the players arrived yesterday carrying some bumps and bruises, but nothing that would keep them from participating in camp:

- Matt Duchene of the Brampton Battalion had a separated shoulder, but played for his OHL team on Sunday and said his shoulder was feeling fine.

- Nazem Kadri of the London Knights still has wires in his mouth holding his broken jaw together and needs final clearance for body contact.

- Regina Pats forward Jordan Eberle has a hip flexor injury, but flew from Regina yesterday next to Hockey Canada's head scout Al Murray and said everything felt fine.

- Matt Calvert of the Brandon Wheat Kings tweaked his back in a WHL game on Wednesday, but appears ready to play.

"I saw him and he had a little jump in his step so it didn't look like he got any bad news," Murray said. "So I think, as it looks right now, everybody is going to be fine."

Nonetheless, coach Pat Quinn says the coaching staff will be watching the players carefully. So much is at stake, no player wants to admit he may be hurt.

"(To) these young men, making this hockey team is very important, so we are cautious," Quinn said. "Some of them aren't being as forthright as they should be, I guess."