McDavid leads Canada’s golden quest at worlds

That includes McDavid, who led the NHL scoring race for a second straight season.

“Any time you get a top player like that, it helps the team and it gets other guys interested in coming,” said Burke. “Other guys want to play with him and be around him.”

McDavid will have Edmonton Oiler teammates Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Darnell Nurse with him on Team Canada, while linemate Leon Draisaitl will suit up for Germany, the surprise Olympic silver medallists in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Kane and Calgary Flames star Johnny Gaudreau will play for the Americans; Mikko Rantanen and Mikael Granlund are on the Finnish which is on the Jutland peninsula 230 kilometres from the Danish capital.

The other group at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen has Sweden, Russia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Slovakia, France and Belarus.

Both rinks hold 12,500 spectators.

Nearly every year, the world championship goes without many stars whose NHL teams are in the playoffs, although roster spots are left open for some whose teams are knocked out in the first round.

Canada added Toronto goalie Curtis McElhinney, Colorado forward Tyson Jost and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois and defenceman Ryan Murray when their clubs bowed out early.

Others players choose not to go because they are injured, tired, have contract issues or just had other plans, such as Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price and New York Islanders centre John Tavares. It doesn’t faze Burke. “There are very few guys who are not banged up or need a rest,” he said. “You get the guys who are healthy and want to end the season on a good note.”

Canada, coached by Calgary’s Bill Peters, still managed to put together a strong side, although after McElhinney and Arizona backup Darcy Kuemper, they reached for 18-year-old Vancouver Canucks prospect Michael DiPietro as a third goalie.

Other defencemen on the squad are Ottawa’s Thomas Chabot, Florida’s Joel Edmondson and the New York Islanders’ Ryan Pulock.

Other forwards are Ottawa’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Vancouver’s Bo Horvat, Jaden Schwartz of St. Louis and the Islanders’ Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier.

Since 1931, Canada has won 20 gold, 12 silver and six bronze medals at the world championship.