Hitmen Defenceman Jackson Van De Leest Named
October 24, 2017 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Calgary Hitmen News Release
Calgary, Alta. - Hockey Canada has announced the three Canadian rosters - Team Canada Red and Team Canada White and the 2016 silver-medallist Team Canada Black - competing at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Nov. 5-11 in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C.
With the puck set to drop on the tournament in two weeks, 66 players, including 23 WHL players, on three teams will face competition from the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the United States in their quest for a gold medal.
WHL Players at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge:
Canada Black (9)
The defending silver medallists from the 2016 edition of the tournament will feature the most WHL players out of the three Canada teams with seven skaters and two goaltenders. 2016 WHL Bantam Draft second overall selection Kirby Dach of the Saskatoon Blades is one of three WHL forwards suiting up with Canada Black for this tournament. Matthew Robertson, the seventh-overall selection from the 2016 Bantam Draft, will be one of four blue liners on Team Canada Black. The crease will feature an all-WHL duo in Roman Basran and Nolan Maier.
Massimo Rizzo F 5-9.75 172 2001-06-13 Burnaby, B.C. Kamloops Blazers
Kirby Dach F 6-3.0 185 2001-01-21 Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. Saskatoon Blades
Sasha Mutala F 6-0.5 189 2001-05-06 Vancouver, B.C. Tri-City Americans
Matthew Robertson D 6-2.75 194 2001-03-09 Sherwood Park, Alta. Edmonton Oil Kings
Kaedan Korczak D 6-2.0 182 2001-01-29 Yorkton, Sask. Kelowna Rockets
Luke Reid D 5-11.0 181 2001-09-26 Warman, Sask. Victoria Royals
Jacson Alexander D 5-9.25 174 2001-02-01 Victoria, B.C. Swift Current Broncos
Roman Basran G 6-1.25 173 2001-07-26 Abbotsford, B.C. Kelowna Rockets
Nolan Maier G 5-11.0 168 2001-01-10 Yorkton, Sask. Saskatoon Blades
Canada Red (7)
Canada Red features seven WHL players, including Peyton Krebs of the Kootenay ICE, the first overall selection in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft. Bowen Byram, the third overall selection by the Vancouver Giants from that same draft, recently scored his first career WHL goal and will now tend to Canada Red's blue line throughout the tournament alongside 6-foot-6 Calgary Hitmen defenceman Jackson van de Leest. A pair of forwards on southern Alberta squads will add to the team's forward core with Josh Williams of the Medicine Hat Tigers and Dylan Cozens of the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Josh Williams F 6-0.75 184 2001-03-08 Langley, B.C. Medicine Hat Tigers
Peyton Krebs F 5-10.75 173 2001-01-26 Okotoks, Alta. Kootenay ICE
Dylan Cozens F 6-2.5 174 2001-02-09 Whitehorse, Yukon Lethbridge Hurricanes
Brayden Tracey F 5-11.75 163 2001-05-28 Calgary, Alta. Moose Jaw Warriors
Bowen Byram D 6-0.0 179 2001-06-13 Cranbrook, B.C. Vancouver Giants
Jackson van de Leest D 6-6.0 218 2001-06-15 Kelowna, B.C. Calgary Hitmen
Rhett Rhinehart D 6-2.5 195 2001-11-27 Lloydminster, Alta. Prince Albert Raiders
Canada White (7)
Swift Current Broncos forward Logan Barlage, the fourth-overall selection from the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft, will be a key piece of team Canada White's forward group. Braden Schneider was the fourth blue liner selected in the same draft, going 12th overall to the Brandon Wheat Kings, where he's been a valuable part of his team's back-end through the opening month of their season. Prince George Cougars goaltender Taylor Gauthier will man the crease as one of three WHL puck stoppers selected.
Logan Barlage F 6-3.75 204 2001-01-12 Humboldt, Sask. Swift Current Broncos
Harrison Blaisdell F 5-10.25 175 2001-03-18 Regina, Sask. Vancouver Giants
Connor Bouchard F 5-6.0 157 2001-03-24 Cochrane, Alta. Tri-City Americans
Alex Swetlikoff F 6-2.0 179 2001-07-06 Kelowna, B.C. Seattle Thunderbirds
Braden Schneider D 6-1.25 198 2001-09-20 Prince Albert, Sask. Brandon Wheat Kings
Jake Lee D 6-1.0 203 2001-07-13 Sherwood Park, Alta. Seattle Thunderbirds
Taylor Gauthier G 6-0.5 189 2001-02-15 Calgary, Alta. Prince George Cougars
The players were selected by Brad McEwen (Whitewood, Sask.), Hockey Canada's head scout, in consultation with U17 POE management group lead Steve Staios (Hamilton, Ont./Hamilton, OHL), along with regional scouts Carl Bouchard (Quebec), Barclay Branch (Ontario), Barclay Parneta (West), Kevin Mitchell (Atlantic) and Darrell Woodley (Ontario).
"This has been a lengthy process from the initial 111 players invited to our summer development camp to narrowing it down to the 66 on our three teams," said Shawn Bullock, Hockey Canada's senior manager of hockey operations and men's national teams. "Our management group and scouting staff have assembled three competitive teams which will wear the Canadian jersey with pride at this prestigious, international competition."
The tournament officially kicks off Nov. 5 at the Encana Events Centre in an all-Canadian affair as last year's silver-medallist, Team Canada Black, takes on Team Canada White at 2:30 p.m. MT (4:30 p.m. ET). The opening day concludes with Sweden facing Russia at North Peace Arena in Fort St. John.
Single-game tickets are now available - $5 for pre-tournament games, $15 for preliminary-round games, $20 for quarter-finals, $25 for semifinals and the bronze-medal game and $30 for the gold-medal game. In addition to the single-game tickets, fans can take advantage of a variety of ticketing options, including the 'Family 4-Pack'. For more information on tickets, pricing or how to purchase, CLICK HERE.
TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, will air the semifinal from Dawson Creek and the bronze- and gold-medal games; please check local listings for details.
More than 1,600 NHL draft picks have suited up since the inception of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 1986 (previously known as the Quebec Esso Cup), including 13 of the last 16 first-overall draft picks (Ilya Kovalchuk, 2001; Rick Nash, 2002; Marc-André Fleury, 2003; Alexander Ovechkin, 2004; Erik Johnson, 2006, Patrick Kane, 2007; John Tavares, 2009; Taylor Hall, 2010, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 2011; Nathan MacKinnon, 2013; Aaron Ekblad, 2014; Connor McDavid, 2015 and Auston Matthews, 2016).
Western Hockey League Stories from October 24, 2017
- Hurricanes Team up with KidSport Again - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Prince George Cougars Cougars Add Forward Depth in Trade with Blades - Prince George Cougars
- Hitmen Defenceman Jackson Van De Leest Named - Calgary Hitmen
- Canadian Rosters Unveiled for 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge - WHL
- Dube Named Captain of Team WHL for CIBC Canada Russia Series - Kelowna Rockets
- Team WHL Leadership Group Announced for 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series - WHL
- Weatherill Named WHL Goaltender of the Week - Spokane Chiefs
- Pats Kick off Four Game Road Trip against Kootenay - Regina Pats
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