Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Simon Despres, the Penguins 2009 1st round pick and top prospect, has officially been invited to attend the Canadian World Junior Team Training Camp in December.
39 players were invited to the camp today, by Team Canada.
The selection camp takes place from December 12-15 in Toronto as Canada will be looking to win its sixth gold medal in seven years. The 2011 IIHF World Juniors Championship is set to begin on December 26 in Buffalo, New York. The tournament runs from December 26 – January 5.

Després has previously represented Canada at both the 2008 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament (4GP-2G-0A-2P-8PIM, Gold Medal) and 2009 World U-18 Championships (6GP-0G-2A-2P-8PIM, +5 rating).
In 16 games with Saint John’s, Despres has 19 points on the season, including a plus-19 rating.
The 6-foot-4, 218-pound defenseman is emerging as a candidate to push for a roster spot next season with the Penguins. He had a strong training camp and is the consensus No. 1 prospect in the Penguins system. He headlines a strong group of blueliners in the Penguins system.

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