EDMONTON -- Athletes and coaches from across Europe are on their way to Edmonton for the world junior hockey championships.

Tournament organizers say teams left on charter flights Sunday after undergoing a quarantine period and multiple tests for COVID-19.

Several players and coaches, including Sweden's head coach Tomas Monten, weren't able to join the travelling parties after testing positive for the virus.

Once in Edmonton, all 10 teams will be required to quarantine for four additional days at the hotel before they can start on-ice training on Dec. 18.

Team Canada held its selection camp in Red Deer, Alta., about 150 kilometres south of Edmonton, and the U.S. team has been preparing in Plymouth, Mich.

'FOCUSED ON NEXT DAY': DACH

In a media availability on Sunday, Canada's head coach André Tourigny said the team was packing up to head to Edmonton that evening, where it would quarantine for four days. As such, the players were being given a day off followed by three days of workouts and social activities. 

"We took advantage of the fact that tomorrow we're going into quarantine," he said of the squad's earlier practice, which focused on power play and shoot-out skills. 

The selection camp in Red Deer, Alta., was shortened by two weeks after two positive COVID-19 tests amongst players and a third in the team's staff. 

According to Tourigny, the way the players handled the time off ice was very "impressive."

"You can learn a lot from your players sometimes and the way they react... That was contagious."

"We painted. Bob Ross, I think, that's what it was," laughed 18-year-old Ducks' draft pick Jamie Drysdale. 

"It maybe threw some of the guys off when we found out what we were doing, but I think it was a really fun team-bonding experience. You got a couple of good laughs out of it," he commented. 

"(There are) a couple artists, painters, on our team."

He and Fort Saskatchewan product Kirby Dach took questions after Tourigny spoke, telling reporters, "Obviously there were some days during quarantine where it felt long, but I think the coaching staff did a good job of trying to break our days up and give us activities here and there to make the time go a little bit faster." 

Dach is one of four players who grew up in Alberta. After a successful season in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks, he was picked third overall for Canada's World Juniors selection camp. 

The pandemic is what has allowed him the opportunity to play in the World Juniors this year. 

"If the time does comes that I do have to go back (to Chicago), then I have to go back but I don't really want to think about that right now. 

"I just want to be focused on the next day and prepare with my teammates for the tournament upcoming." 

​This year's event will be held in a “bubble” without fans in attendance. Canada is set to play its first game against Germany on Dec. 26.

With files from The Canadian Press