Bradly Nadeau, who led the University of Maine in scoring as a freshman last season before signing with the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, has been invited to the Canadian World Junior Team tryout camp.
He was one of 28 skaters and four goaltenders chosen to attend the camp in Ottawa, Ontario, from Dec. 10-13.
The annual International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior Tournament, featuring 10 teams and the world’s top under-20-year-olds, will be held in Ottawa from Dec. 26-Jan. 5.
Teams are allowed to have 20 skaters and three goalies on their rosters.
Left winger Nadeau, who was chosen in the first round (30th) of the National Hockey League draft by the Hurricanes in 2023, is currently playing for the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League where he has scored five goals and picked up four assists in 17 games.
However, after scoring only one goal in his first seven games, he has collected four goals and two assists over his last 10 and two goals and two assists over his last five.
He is tied for first on the team in goals.
The 19-year-old Nadeau is the second youngest player on the Wolves roster.
Nadeau, a 5-foot-11, 172-pound native of St.-Francois de Madawaska, New Brunswick, was a second team All-Hockey East and All-Rookie Team selection a year ago when he racked up 19 goals and 27 assists in 37 games for the Black Bears, who reached the Hockey East semifinals and NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
His older brother and linemate Josh was the team’s second-leading scorer with 18-27-45.
Bradly Nadeau signed a three-year contract with the Hurricanes right after the college season ended and he made his NHL debut for the Hurricanes in their season-ending 6-3 loss to Columbus.
He received a $285,000 signing bonus and will make $855,500 per year in the NHL or $82,500 in the AHL.
Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour told the Hockey News it was a “great opportunity for him.
“You get to play with other players but at a high level within your age group,” said Brind’Amour. “He’s a young kid right now and it’s tough playing in the AHL. It’s men and they’re all pros trying to get (to the NHL). It’s a tough, tough league so it might be good for him, too, just with the confidence thing, to experience that.”
Team Canada will be one of five teams in Group A along with Finland, Germany, Latvia and the United States. They will play a round robin schedule as will Group B, which consists of Sweden, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Kazakhstan.
