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Plymouth Whalers' Rickard Rakell Receives Team Sweden WJC Invitation

November 1, 2010 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Plymouth Whalers News Release


PLYMOUTH - Plymouth Whalers right wing Rickard Rakell continues to score goals and acquire frequent flyer miles.

Rakell - 17-years-old and from Sollentuna, Sweden - has received an invitation to try out for Team Sweden for the upcoming 2011 World Junior Championships, which will be played in Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Buffalo, NY.

Rakell will be playing in exhibition games starting tonight (Monday, November 1) against Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. Sweden will also play Merrimack College on Tuesday, Williams College on Friday, and then against the UMass Amherst on Saturday. Rakell will rejoin the Whalers for their game in Sault Ste. Marie on Sunday.

Skating this season as a rookie in Plymouth, Rakell has played on the Whalers top two lines all season long and has five goals with eight assists for 13 points in 15 games. He scored the game-winning goal last Saturday with 0:41 remaining in the Whalers' dramatic come-from-behind 5-4 victory over Sault Ste. Marie at Compuware Arena.

Rakell plays with skill, but at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, he also plays with a certain amount of grit.

"90-percent of the goals are scored in front of the net", Rakell said Saturday after scoring his game-winning goal. "I don't have a problem crashing the net if that's what I have to do."

If Rakell makes Team Sweden, he'll be the first member of the Whalers ever to represent Sweden in the World Junior Championship in the team's 21-year history.

Meanwhile, the Whalers hit the road this week, playing in Brampton on Thursday (7pm, 88.1FM, WSDP), in Sudbury on Friday (7:20pm, www.plymouthwhalers.com ) and Sault Ste. Marie on Sunday (7pm, www.plymouthwhalers.com ). Plymouth's next home game is Friday, Nov. 12 at 7:05pm at Compuware Arena against Windsor. Tickets are available by calling Compuware Arena at (734) 453-8400.

SKATE WITH THE WHALERS ON ELECTION DAY: With most children off from school on Tuesday, the Whalers are offering a Sticks and Pucks Clinic from 10:30am-Noon at Compuware Arena. The Whalers are also offering a pizza party after the session, featuring Plymouth players.

Sticks and Pucks differs from the normal clinic setting in that it's a more low-key session. Young players get plenty of time to meet the Whalers, interact with them and get tips from many players who have already been drafted by National Hockey League teams.

"It's hard to say who has more fun at Sticks and Pucks sessions - the skaters or the Whalers," said Natalie Shaver, Whalers Sales and Marketing Administrator. "We've found many kids and their parents becoming repeat customers over the last few years, where they sign up and ask to skate with their favorite players. There's plenty of time for interaction."

The session $25 and each participant will receive a complimentary game voucher for a Whalers game. Full equipment is required. Anyone interested in registering can contact Natalie Shaver at natalies@plymouthwhalers.com or 734-453-3216.

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