Prince George Cougars Defenceman Dennis Cholowski is among the first six players cut by Hockey Canada from its World Junior Championship selection camp roster.

“It sucks. Everybody wants to make the team, but can’t really do anything about it now, just have to keep going. I played my game, I did the best I could and fell a little short,” Cholowski told reporters shortly after he was given the news.

The 19-year-old will be back in the Cougars lineup this weekend.

Prince George will visit Seattle Friday, Everett Saturday, and Vancouver Sunday before heading out on the Christmas break.

Two WHL forwards, Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks and Kole Lind of the Kelowna Rockets, were among the other players given the pink slip.

Also let go were forward Jonathan Ang (Peterborough, OHL), defenceman Logan Stanley (Kitchener, OHL), and goaltender Samuel Harvey (Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL).

The roster has been trimmed from 33 to 27 with five more cuts to come.

Canada’s roster has to be down to 22 players which will consist of 13 forwards, seven defencemen, and two netminders.

The 2018 World Junior Championship opens on Boxing Day in Buffalo.