Josh Ho-Sang left off Team Canada for world under-18 championship, underlining telling trend

No naming of a Canadian roster for any world championship is complete without quibbling over who is conspicuously absent — and leaving a top-20 OHL scorer, the Windsor Spitfires' Josh Ho-Sang, off the preliminary roster for the upcoming IIHF world under-18 championship certainly qualifies.

The U18 is not as big in terms of scale or North American interest as the world junior championship, since it always takes place during the spring and in Europe during the Stanley Cup playoffs and the post-seasons of all three major junior leagues. However, it is a big opportunity for NHL teams putting finishing touches on their draft boards and TSN has also realized the benefit of broadcasting an event that offers fans a chance to put a face on the prospects who will be hyped up before the draft. Canada winning the gold medal last spring behind a MVP effort from Connor McDavid ought to do more to spark interest on this side of the pond, especially since it's a chance to see the country be a pseudo-underdog while going up against a U.S. team with a centralized roster.

Ho-Sang had a lot of hype this season after posting 85 points for the Windsor Spitfires, who were ousted in four consecutive games by the London Knights in the first round. Yet the 17-year-old centre, not unlike fellow high-scoring speedster Max Domi at world junior time last December, has been left off the roster that will assemble under coach Kevin Dineen.

Ho-Sang is projected as the 17th, 20th and 22nd in three recent NHL.com mock drafts. There is little question about his ceiling on the ice. Like with Domi in December, it does seem to tie back to Hockey Canada's long-time preference for passing on a player whose great individual talent isn't believed to have a catalytic effect on the overall play, and possibly morale, of his team.

Ho-Sang was also not on Canada's roster for the pre-season Memorial of Ivan Hlinka under-18 tournament, where Canada's talent pool is not compromised by conflicts with the major junior season. It's not a shocker per se, but it stands out. It's too soon to say whether this is foreshadowing where Ho-Sang will go in the actual draft.

Canada, like it did at the world junior, will be sending an exceptionally young team to the April 17-27 tourney in Lapeenranta and Imatra, Finland. Eight underage players from the 1997-born cohort are on the preliminary roster, including Ottawa 67's star Travis Konecny, bright young Sherbrooke Phoenix defenceman Jérémy Roy and two burly wings from the OHL, the Kingston Frontenacs' Lawson Crouse and Niagara IceDogs' Graham Knott.

Kingston stars Sam Bennett and Spencer Watson will be unable to skate during the selection camp. Both Bennett, the highest-ranked 2014 draft prospect available to Canada, and Watson played hurt during Kingston's first-round loss to the Peterborough Petes.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.