Canada's national junior team is fighting off injury as it prepares to defend its gold medal on home ice.
Alex Formenton, one of only two returning players from last year's world championship team, is listed as day-to-day after suffering a leg injury in a pre-tournament game Wednesday night.
National team director Shawn Bullock says the extent of the injury to the Ottawa Senators draft pick is still being assessed by medical specialists, but Formenton was not on the ice Thursday and was seen on crutches at the Q Centre arena where the national team selects were preparing for a rematch against a team comprised of players from Canadian university hockey teams.
Bullock says other players on the injury list, but skating with the team at its selection camp are forwards Jaret Anderson-Dolan, a Los Angeles Kings draft pick, and former Windsor Spitfire Gabe Vilardi, also a Kings draft choice.
Tecumseh native Jack Studnicka, of the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals, is in the line up for Thursday's game after scoring a pair of goals in the first game against the university team.
The roster has to be cut from 34 to 22 by Saturday.
— With files from The Canadian Press