Dante Fabbro is back on the same team with Tyson Jost.

The former Penticton Vees have been reunited with Team Canada for the , which starts on Boxing Day.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a surreal moment. I think it鈥檚 just starting to soak in here,鈥� said Fabbro on Friday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice having him on the team.鈥�

Fabbro and Jost are among the 22 players that make up Team Canada, which will be striving to win a gold medal. Fabbro said the days leading up to the final cuts were nerve-racking.

鈥淚 thought I played well, really steady,鈥� said Fabbro of his performance in camp during a phone interview from Mont-Tremblant, Que. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so many great players out here that make you better. Push you to do your best. I鈥檓 happy to be here.鈥�

Fabbro said camp was good, but tough. He鈥檚 soaking in the experience of meeting new teammates and getting to know the coaching staff.

He is grateful for the opportunity that will allow him to pull the Canada jersey over his head and wants to work as hard as he can to prove himself every day. In practice, Fabbro has been skating with Kale Clague and Jeremy Lauzon. Fabbro, a Coquitlam product who plays for the Boston University Terriers, said the team is going to be really good. He feels they will surprise other teams with their speed and how quick they move the puck.

鈥淲e鈥檙e a team to be reckoned with. If we keep moving forward in the right trend, we are going to make some pretty special moments happen,鈥� said Fabbro, the Nashville Predators 17th overall pick in last summer鈥檚 draft.

Five players who competed for Canada at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship - Mathew Barzal (Coquitlam, B.C./Seattle, WHL), Thomas Chabot (Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, Que./Saint John, QMJHL), Julien Gauthier (Pointe-aux-Trembles, Que./Val-d鈥橭r, QMJHL), Mitchell Stephens (Peterborough, Ont./Saginaw, OHL), and Dylan Strome (Mississauga, Ont./Erie, OHL) 鈥� will don the Team Canada crest for the holiday tournament. Joining them are:

鈥� Goaltenders Carter Hart (Sherwoord Park, Alta./Everett, WHL), Connor Ingram (Imperial, Sask./Kamloops, WHL);

鈥� Defencemen Jake Bean (Calgary/Calgary, WHL), Kale Clague (Lloydminster, Alta./Brandon, WHL), Dante Fabbro (Coquitlam, B.C./Boston University, HE), Noah Juulsen (Abbotsford, B.C./Everett, WHL), J茅r茅my Lauzon (Val-d鈥橭r, Que./Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL), Philippe Myers (Moncton, N.B./Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL); and Dante Fabbro, at left, is a former Penticton Vees defenceman.

鈥� Forwards Anthony Cirelli (Woodbrige, Ont./Oshawa, OHL), Dillon Dub茅 (Cochrane, Alta./琉璃神社, WHL), Pierre-Luc Dubois (Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Que./Cape Breton, QMJHL), Mathieu Joseph (Chambly, Que./Saint John, QMJHL), Tyson Jost (琉璃神社, B.C./U. of North Dakota, NCHC), Michael McLeod (Mississauga, Ont./Mississauga, OHL), Taylor Raddysh (Caledon, Ont./Erie, OHL), Nicolas Roy (Amos, Que./Chicoutimi, QMJHL), Blake Speers (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont./Sault Ste. Marie, OHL).

Jost, who has seven goals and 18 points in 17 games with the University of North Dakota, said the team possesses players with versatility.

鈥淲e can all play different positions and be put in different situations,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know they are excited here to get into Toronto and start this tournament off.鈥�

Jost has found some chemistry with Val-d鈥橭r鈥檚 Julien Gauthier and Chicoutimi鈥檚 Nicolas Roy, but said who he skates with can change.

Jost said being selected to play for Canada is humbling.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something I鈥檝e dreamed about ever since I was two or three years old,鈥� said Jost, a first round pick, 10th overall by the Colorado Avalanche this past summer. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not often you get to make a dream become a reality. It was something that was very special. It鈥檚 going to be remembered for a long time. I will feel a lot better with the gold medal. I want a gold medal."

鈥淲e鈥檝e had a great selection camp, and I can see this group of players really beginning to work together and getting better every day,鈥� said Dominique Ducharme, head coach, Canada鈥檚 National Junior Team. 鈥淚t鈥檚 never easy to make the difficult decisions of releasing players, and that鈥檚 a testament to Canada鈥檚 depth of talent. Kris, Tim and I are looking forward to continuing to work with these players to fine-tune our game and be ready when we start the tournament on Boxing Day.鈥�

In its opening game, Canada will face Russia at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto at 8 p.m. ET.

Canada plays three pre-tournament games as part of the RBC Road to the World Juniors : Dec. 19 in Montreal against Finland, Dec. 21 in Ottawa against the Czech Republic, and Dec. 23 in Toronto against Switzerland. Extensive coverage of the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship is planned by TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, including Canada鈥檚 three pre-tournament games; check local listings for details.