Brampton - Centre Cody Hodgson of the Brampton Battalion is one of 22 players named to the Canadian national junior team, Hockey Canada announced Monday.

Hodgson, 18, is among 12 forwards and six Ontario Hockey League players who will compete for Canada at the World Junior Championship at Ottawa from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.

"It feels great," Hodgson, who'll wear an 'A' as an alternate captain, said by telephone from Ottawa, site of the selection camp. "I've played with or against a lot of these guys. We've got a great group of guys here, and I'm really looking forward to playing with them."

Battalion centre Matt Duchene, 17, was one of 16 players released after the four-day camp.

Head coach Stan Butler of the Battalion held the same position with Canada in 2001 and 2002.

"I'm really happy for Cody," said Butler. "He's taken his game to another level this season, and that's a credit to him. He's going to be one of the key cogs on that team."

Thomas Hickey, a defenceman with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League, is the Canadian captain. The other alternates are centre Zach Boychuk of the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes and two of Hodgson's fellow OHLers, defenceman P.K. Subban of the Belleville Bulls and centre John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals.

Battalion captain Hodgson is the only one in that group who wasn't with the Canadian team that won gold at the 2008 World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic.

"Being named an alternate captain is an added bonus for me," said Hodgson. "There's a lot of leadership here."

Canada is seeking a fifth consecutive gold medal.

"There's a lot of pressure on us to win," noted Hodgson. "Gold is the only thing we'll be looking to achieve."

Duchene had hoped to earn a roster spot despite being two years younger than the oldest cohort eligible, that born in 1989.

"What makes Matt an elite athlete is that he's not satisfied when he's not successful at something," said Butler. "He has the type of character that means he'll rebound from this. I'm sure he'll be in Hockey Canada's programs for a long time to come."

Said Hodgson: "Matt's a great player, and I think everyone at Hockey Canada knows that. I think cutting him was one of the toughest decisions they had to make. He's a great competitor."

The Canadian team is to leave Tuesday for a two-day stay at the Canadian Forces base at Petawawa, Ont., before moving to Orangeville, Ont., for six days. Canada will play three exhibition games, against Sweden at Toronto on Friday night, Finland at Mississauga on Sunday night and Slovakia at Hamilton, Ont., on Dec. 23.

"We'll be looking to get our identity in the coming days," said Hodgson. "I think we're solid from our goaltending on out. We have a big defence and skilled forwards."

Canada, in a group with the Czech Republic, Germany, Kazakhstan and the United States, opens the 10-team tournament against the Czechs on Dec. 26.

Hodgson captained the Canadian team that won the World Under-18 Championship in Russia in April and was with the national under-18 team that finished fourth at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in August, 2007.

Hodgson, a first-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League's Entry Draft in June, leads the Battalion in scoring with 20 goals and 22 assists for 42 points in 23 games. 

A first-round pick in the 2007 OHL Priority Selection, he is set to become the fourth Battalion member to play for Canada at the World Junior Championship. Defenceman Jay Harrison and left winger Raffi Torres played in 2001, Harrison and centre Jay McClement in 2002 and McClement again in 2003.