One of the top showcases of the year for future NCAA talent, the World Junior A Challenge, opens Sunday in Cobourg and Whitby, Ontario, featuring dozens of committed recruits in the six-team field.

Canada's two teams - East and West - were named this week and include 27 players committed to 20 different Division I schools. They will compete with the Czech Republic, Russia, Switzerland and a United States team, named earlier, that features top players from the USHL.

WJAC site | 19 to Lead U.S. Team

Cornell leads all schools with three commits on the two Canadian rosters; Colgate, Massachusetts, Penn State, Union and Vermont have two each.

Including the U.S. team, more than half of all NCAA Division I teams have commits in the tournament (31 of 60). St. Cloud State and Vermont join Cornell with three recruits each to lead all schools.

Penticton Vees teammates and first-round NHL Draft prospects Dante Fabbro (Boston University) and Tyson Jost (North Dakota) headline the Canada West team. Canada West is made up of players from the AJHL, BCHL and MJHL, while Canada East features players from the CCHL, LHJQ, MHL and OJHL.

Preliminary round action runs from Dec. 13-15, with the medal round set for Dec. 16-19.

Commits on Canadian WJAC Teams