Carp – A native of Carp with many family ties to Eganville is one of 25 players who was named Tuesday to represent Canada at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Mason McTavish, son of Eganville natives Dale and Christine (Kasdorff) McTavish, was the youngest player named to the Canadian roster by Hockey Canada. He is the grandson of former Eganville residents, Brad and Rosemary McTavish, now of Ottawa, and Eganville natives Diane (Verch) and the late Robert Kasdorff.

McTavish, who will celebrate his 19^th birthday on Sunday, was drafted third overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the NHL entry draft last summer and suited up for the team in nine games at the start of the NHL season, scoring his first NHL goal in his debut October 13 in the Ducks’ 4-1 home win over the Winnipeg Jets. In his nine games, he registered two goals, one a game winner and one assist for three points. He then was sent to the Ducks’ American Hockey League affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, where he played three games, with one goal and one assist. He was returned to his Ontario Hockey League team, the Peterborough Petes, where he collected six goals and one assist prior to being traded to the Hamilton Bulldogs on January 9. At the time of the trade, the Petes were in last place in the five-team Eastern Division and the Bulldogs were in second. In Hamilton, he has three goals and two assists in just two games to date.

McTavish was a member of the Canadian U-20 team at the World Junior Championships being held in Alberta between Christmas and New Year’s and had an impressive three goals and two assists in the team’s two wins prior to the tournament being cancelled due to COVID. In Team Canada’s  gold medal win at the 2021 U-18 World Championship, McTavish posted five goals and four assists in the seven games.       

McTavish is joined on the Olympic squad be fellow U-20 player, Owen Power, the number one pick in the 2021 NHL draft. With the NHL players not eligible to play in the tournament, retired players like Eric Staal, Daniel Winnik, David Desharnais and Jason Demers will be some of the veterans on the team providing the leadership for the younger members.

The team opens preliminary round play in Pool A against Germany on February 10, followed by a game against longtime rivals, the USA on February 12. Canada wraps up the preliminary round on February 13 versus China. The play-off qualifications commence February 15.

Retired NHL star Shane Doan is the general manager for the team and longtime NHL bench boss, Claude Julien, is the head coach of the squad.