When the most eagerly anticipated IIHF World Junior Championship ever opens on the day after Christmas, the spotlight will be on the two titans of the 2015 NHL Draft � Canada�s Connor McDavid and Jack...

When the most eagerly anticipated IIHF World Junior Championship ever opens on the day after Christmas, the spotlight will be on the two titans of the 2015 NHL Draft � Canada�s Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel of the United States and Boston University.

But if you�ve watched David Pastrnak of the Providence Bruins this season, you won�t be surprised if he finds a way to grab a share of the attention with a highlight-reel goal or a spectacular setup.

The 18-year-old right winger is understandably excited about representing the Czech Republic against the best age-20-and-under players in the world.

�I�m always proud to play for my country. I�m proud to wear the jersey,� Pastrnak said on Wednesday, after practice with the P-Bruins.

While his AHL teammates take a five-day Christmas break after Saturday�s game in Manchester, N.H. Pastrnak says he will meet with the Czech team in Montreal on Monday.

The WJC is another checkpoint on Pastrnak�s surprising sprint toward stardom. When the Bruins drafted him 25th in the first round in June, he was expected to be at least a few years away from playing in the NHL.

But after shining in the AHL, Pastrnak earned his first NHL callup on Nov. 23. The youngest player in both the AHL and the NHL this season, he didn�t look out of place in the five games he played with Boston before being sent down on Dec. 7, though he clearly needs to add more muscle to his 176-pound frame.

Pastrnak has made steady progress from day one in Providence, especially in his play without the puck.

�You�re still seeing highlight goals, like he scored on Sunday [when he reached between his legs to flick the puck in], but � in the neutral zone, his board play, it�s so much better,� said Boston assistant general manager Don Sweeney.

�We want to make sure we continue to foster the creative side of his game, because at times it�s elite. We want to make sure that translates to the next level.�

The Bruins didn�t have to give too much thought to whether sending him to play in the WJC was the right decision.

�For his overall development, it�s a great experience for him to be able to take advantage of,� said Sweeney, who also serves as Providence GM.

�Everybody believes it�s a healthy environment for an 18-year-old kid to have the opportunity to go play on a big stage against your peers.�

Bruins development coach Jay Pandolfo, who played for the United States in the 1994 WJC, agrees.

�He�s been playing against men here all year along. Going there and playing against younger guys, he�s going to have a lot of confidence. It�s good for him.

�A young kid playing here, it�s not easy. It�s a different lifestyle. It�ll be nice to go back and have some fun with the guys from his own country. He�s going to enjoy it.

�It�s important. Guys take pride in playing for their country. He can show that he�s one of the best players in the world at that age, too,� Pandolfo said.

Pastrnak, obviously, is on board. �It�s the best players in the world, under 20, so it�s going to be really good to [play against] all of those guys. It�s going to be a good level [of play], you know, it�s really fast. I think it�s really close to NHL, so I think it�s going to be really good for me,� he said.

This will be the second time around for Pastrnak in the WJC. As a 17-year-old last year, he scored a goal and three points in five games. He also scored once in the shootout in a 5-4 upset win over Canada. The Czechs were beaten in the quarterfinals by Finland, which went on to win the gold medal.

The Czechs will play all four of their preliminary round games at Toronto�s Air Canada Center, starting on Dec. 26 against Sweden. Their first chance to face either the U.S. or Canada won�t come until the quarterfinals.

The Czech players will make the best of being 6,000-plus miles from home on Christmas. �Last year we had the same situation. We�ll have a team dinner with Czech food, what we always eat for Christmas,� Pastrnak said, which means schnitzel, fish and potato salad will be on the menu.

�It�s good, like you are home with your guys. It�s kind of my family. We are one family and we want to be a good team,� he said.

The Hockey News WJC preview picks the Czechs for third, behind Canada and the United States.

The big question for the Bruins once the WJC ends on Jan. 5 is whether Pastrnak will spend the rest of the season in North America � with either Providence or Boston � or return to S�dert�lje in Sweden.

In the end, the choice is up to Pastrnak.

�We�ll certainly revisit it after the tournament, find out where he�s at,� said Sweeney.