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TORONTO, Ontario -- Every other year, Griffin and Sam Reinhart skated on the same teams in minor hockey. Now the brothers from West Vancouver hope to be teammates for Canada at the world junior championship. Griffin, a 19-year-old defenceman for the Edmonton Oil Kings who was drafted fourth overall in 2012 by the New York Islanders, is a lock to make the squad even though he will be suspended for the first three preliminary round games due to a suspension incurred at last years world juniors in Ufa, Russia. Sam, who is in contention to be picked first overall in the 2014 NHL draft, is battling for a spot on the 22-man squad. Canada will be looking to end a four-year gold medal drought at the world juniors that begin Dec. 26 in Malmo, Sweden. "Its exciting -- it goes back to minor hockey," said 18-year-old Sam Reinhart, a centre for the Kootenay Ice. "Its nice to get back with him. "The last couple of years Ive had to play against him and I dont like that very much." They were on the ice together for some drills Friday as Canada opened a three-day camp on the international-size rink at the Mastercard Centre. As expected, Jonathan Drouin was not on the ice. The high-scoring Halifax Mooseheads forward is recovering from a concussion suffered in a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game last week. The 18-year-old is expected to recover in time for the tournament. The third overall pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning at the NHL draft in June was examined by team doctors on Thursday night. Coach Brent Sutter expects Drouin to be ready to skate and described his condition as "status quo." He said it would not hinder the teams preparations for the tournament. Griffin, Sam and 21-year-old Max Reinhart, a Calgary Flames prospect, are the sons of former NHL defenceman Paul Reinhart. All three started out as defencemen, but Sam and Max both ended up as centres. Griffin, a towering rearguard at six-foot-four 212 pounds, and the six-foot-one Sam are looking to become the third brother duo to play for Canada at the world juniors, after Randy and Mike Moeller in 1982 and Freddie and Dougie Hamilton in 2012. "Its always more fun playing with Sam than against him, so if hes able to make it as well it would be awesome for me," said Griffin. The brothers embody two issues on the squad -- Griffins suspension and Sam being among three "underage" players in camp along with Erie Otters 16-year-old phenom Connor McDavid and Barrie Colts defenceman Aaron Ekblad, who is one of Sam Reinharts main competitors for the No. 1 draft position. Griffin was slapped with a four-game ban for a slash during Canadas semifinal loss to the United States in Ufa. He served one game after that, and is suspended for the next four IIHF sanctioned events he enters. He will miss the first three group stage games in Malmo against Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia but will return for a Dec. 31 showdown with the Americans. "Ive definitely seen the schedule," he said. "I cant play the first three, but coming back to play the States on the 31st -- thats a huge rivalry. Everyone in Canada gets hyped up for those games." That Canada included him among the 25 camp invitees showed they value Reinharts package of size, skill and leadership enough that missing three games doesnt faze them. They are games Canada should win, and Sutter will still have six solid rearguards in the lineups. Reinhart will also be able to mesh with his teammates while playing in pre-tournament exhibition games next week against Finland, Sweden and Switzerland. But he appreciates the confidence the Hockey Canada management showed in him. "Itll be hard watching," he said. "Everyone wants to play. "Ive sat out before in the WHL with injuries, so Ill kind of take it like that. I know there was a chance they wouldnt take me because of the three games. Ill try to prove to them they made the right decision and try to be a leader on and off the ice when I return." They also had him paired with Matt Dumba, who was loaned to Canada for the tournament by the Minnesota Wild. Dumba is expected to be an anchor on Canadas defence, and they could end up as the teams top pairing. Sam Reinhart found himself once again on a line with McDavid, with Kerby Rychel of the Guelph Storm on left wing. Reinhart and McDavid, the runaway favourite to go first overall in the 2015 draft, have played together before, including at the world junior teams summer camp in Montreal and Lake Placid, N.Y. Reinhart moves over to right wing for the occasion. "I had a chance to play with (McDavid) and the hype is not wrong by any means," he said. "Hes a special player. Its easy to play with him." Like with most national teams, there are more centres than spots to put them in, so a few have moved to the wings. "Ive already made the transition to right wing," Sam Reinhart said. "Down the middle theres so much depth on our team. Ill play on the penalty kill, the power play, whatever they want me to do. Ill be ready." Drouins absence left Frederik Gauthier of the Rimouski Oceanic and Josh Anderson of London Knights -- the only player on the roster listed as a right winger with his team -- without a third man for their line, although the units Sutter and his staff used on the first day of camp are likely to change. If he is healthy, Drouin will likely play on whatever is the top offensive line. Anthony Mantha of the Val dor Foreurs, the QMJHL scoring leader, is a left-winger who found himself on the right side of London centre Bo Horvat and natural left winger Charles Hudon of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. Centre Curtis Lazar of the Edmonton Oil Kings was on right wing with centre Nic Petan of the Portland Winterhawks and Hunter Shinkaruk of the Medicine Hat Tigers. And centre Felix Girard of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar played right wing with Scott Laughton of the Oshawa Generals at centre and Portlands Taylor Leier on the left side. During practice, the players were introduced to four former world juniors stars who were named honorary captains for the 2015 and 2017 tournaments to be shared by Toronto and Montreal. They are former Leafs Wendel Clark and Gary Roberts, former goalie Marc Denis and Montreal Canadiens player development man Martin Lapointe. The team has an exhibition game Saturday afternoon against local university players and a practice Sunday morning before leaving for Sweden. Discount Football Jerseys Throwback . Teams one through twenty competing in Englands top flight are each fatally flawed. A wide-open, highly competitive and mistake-filled season has followed. Football Jerseys Throwback Outlet . Eller scored the midway through the third period after Dallas scored twice to tie it, leading Canadiens to a 6-4 win over the Stars on Thursday night. http://www.cheapfootballthrowback.com/. - Andre Drummond had his best night on the boards. Wholesale Football Jerseys Throwback . Listen to the Rangers vs. Kings live on TSN Radio starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. You can also stream the post-game press conferences live on TSN. Clearance Football Jerseys Throwback . -- Top-seed Shahar Peer and Canadian Eugenie Bouchard advanced to the second round of the inaugural WTA Citi Open.PORTLAND, Ore. -- Damian Lillard hit a layup with 6.5 seconds left to give the Portland Trail Blazers a 90-89 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night. The Suns led by as many nine points in the second half but the Blazers went ahead 78-77 on Lillards hook shot with 6:45 left. The teams traded the lead as time ticked down until Eric Bledsoes layup put Phoenix up 87-83. Wesley Matthews made a 3-pointer and Robin Lopez tipped in a shot to put the Blazers in front 88-87 with 1:35 left. Miles Plumlees layup gave the Suns the lead again, but then Bledsoe missed a shot with 11.9 seconds remaining, giving the ball to the Blazers. Lillard drove to the hoop and scored, and Markieff Morris missed a chance at a tip-in for Phoenix at the buzzer. Lillard, last seasons Rookie of the Year, finished with 11 points and eight assists in the Blazers fourth straight win. Lopez had 13 points and 15 rebounds, while LaMarcus Aldridge had 12 points and 12 rebounds. It was the third straight game in which both Lopez and Aldridge finished with a double-double. Bledsoe scored 23 points for the Suns, who defeated Portland 104-91 in the season opener. Matthews layup put the Blazers in front 22-17 late in the first quarter, but the first half was marked mostly my missed layups and turnovers on both sides. At one point Blazers guard Mo Williams clapped his hands in frustration after a miss. Goran Dragic put the Suns in front 35-34 midway through the second quarter with a tip shot. Dragic was making his first start after an ankle injury sidelined him for three games.dddddddddddd He came off the bench Sunday against New Orleans, scoring 12 points. He finished with 14 against the Blazers. Lillards basket and Aldridges dunk narrowed it to 43-41 at the break. The Blazers had 12 turnovers at halftime and finished with 17 for the game. It stayed close in the third quarter but Bledsoe gave the Suns a 58-53 lead on a fast-break layup. Phoenix extended it to 68-59 on Morris long jumper and another fast-break basket from Bledsoe. Dorell Wrights pull-up jumper got Portland to 68-67 but the Suns stifled the threat and went back ahead 77-69 after Gerald Greens 3-pointer with 8:50 to go. Portland closed to 77-74 on Matthews 3-pointer with 7:31 left. Portland was coming off a 109-103 victory at home over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night, while the Suns were coming off a 101-94 victory over the Pelicans on Sunday to improve to 4-0 at home this season. Both teams went into the game 5-2. NOTES: Morris was named the Western Conference player of the week after averaging 22.8 points, eight rebounds and two steals off the bench in the previous three games. He was the Suns first player of the week since Amare Stoudemire in 2008. ... Portland Timbers forward Frederic Piquionne attended the game. The Timbers play the second game of their two-leg goal aggregate Western Conference final against Real Salt Lake on Nov. 24. RSL won the first match 4-2 on Sunday. ' ' '