Meet the B.C. players in the 2017 World Junior Hockey Championship

Team Canada's last World Junior Hockey Championship ended in disappointment in Helsinki, Finland, but in the run-up to the 2017 tournament the Canadians have looked exceptional.

Team Canada has won all three of its pre-tournament games, outscoring the competition 14 to three, and the team's four British Columbian players have been a big part of that success.

But starting Dec. 26, the preliminary round begins, and the games start to really count. Canada's first preliminary game is against Russia at 5 p.m. PT Monday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

Before the puck drops, here's a look at Team Canada's four B.C. players.

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Mathew Barzal, Coquitlam

Barzal, 19, is the only British Columbian with previous World Junior experience. In the 2016 tournament, he scored three points in five games before Team Canada's quarter-final elimination.

In the run-up to this year's tournament, Barzal has been viewed as one of the most skilled players on Team Canada. In pre-tournament play he logged two goals and an assist, largely playing with Taylor Raddysh and Mathieu Joseph.

Outside of international play, Barzal has 19 points in 13 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL after starting the season with the New York Islanders, who took him in the first round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Barzal is an assistant captain on Team Canada.

Dante Fabbro, Coquitlam

18-year-old defenceman Fabbro is playing in his first World Junior Championship but found some success in international play earlier in 2016 at the under-18 tournament, scoring eight assists in seven games.

Fabbro was a first-round pick of the Nashville Predators in the 2016 draft and is playing NCAA hockey for Boston University this year. He previously played for the Penticton Vees of the B.C. Hockey League.

Fabbro has been praised for his play at both ends of the ice and logged a single goal in pre-tournament play. He has largely been paired with Kale Clague so far.

Noah Juulsen, Abbotsford

Montreal Canadiens' 2015 first-round prospect Juulsen, 19, has an assist in the pre-tournament. He was one of the final cuts by Team Canada last year, and is said to play with poise and has an edge to his game.

Juulsen plays for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL and has scored 20 points in 25 games this season. He is better known for his defensive play, and during the 2017 tournament has been playing with Jake Bean of the Calgary Hitmen.

Tyson Jost, Kelowna

Jost, 18, was taken 10th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche. He's considered a natural goal scorer and has recorded three in pre-tournament play along with a single assist.

Jost played together with Fabro for the Penticton Vees. In the 2015-16 season, he scored 104 points in 48 games as a 17-year-old. He saw international success captaining Team Canada's under-18 national team this year and led the tournament in scoring; his 15 points broke Connor McDavid's Canadian record in that tournament. He is playing NCAA hockey for the University of North Dakota this season.

In the 2017 World Junior Hockey Championship, Jost has served as a winger on a line with Nicolas Roy and Julien Gauthier of the QMJHL.