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WHL Saskatoon Blades

Pair of Blades to suit up for Team WHL

November 28, 2007 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


Forwards Justin McCrae and Colton Gillies and Goaltender Braden Holtby of the Saskatoon Blades will suit up in Medicine Hat on Thursday night for Team WHL in the final game of the ADT Canada Russia Challenge. The game will be televised nationally on Rogers Sportsnet. Fans in Saskatchewan can tune in to Rogers Sportsnet West for the game on tape delay at 12:00 am Saskatchewan time.

The ADT Canada Russia Challenge features Canadian Hockey League (CHL) All-Star Teams, from each of its three member Leagues (WHL, OHL and QMJHL), against the Russian National Junior Team in a six game series. The CHL side currently leads the series 3 games to 1 heading into tonight's game 6 in Cranbrook, BC, following two straight wins by Team OHL and a split of the first two games involving Team QMJHL.

McCrae, a native of Cochrane, Alberta, is in his 4th season with the Blades and this past summer was a 4th round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL Draft. The team captain this season, McCrae is currently tied for second in Blades' scoring with 7 goals and 10 assists for 17 points in 27 games.

Gillies, a product of Surrey, British Columbia, is in his 3rd season with the Blades and was a 1st round pick of the Minnesota Wild in the 2007 NHL Draft. He sits sixth in Blades' scoring with 9 goals and 7 assists for 16 points in 22 games. This summer, Gillies was a member of the Canadian squad in the Canada-Russia Super Series and took part in the ADT Challenge one year ago as a member of Team WHL.

Holtby, a product of Marshall, Saskatchewan, is in his 2nd full season with the Blades and will be eligible for the upcoming NHL Draft. In the preliminary rankings released by NHL Central Scouting two weeks ago, Holtby was ranked as the #2 draft eligible goaltender in the Western Hockey League. This season Holtby has appeared in 24 games, sporting a 9-13-0-0 record with a 3.05 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.

The three players will join their Blades' teammates on Friday in Lethbridge where the Blades will begin a mini two game road trip against the Hurricanes. The game can be heard live on 92.9 The Bull beginning with the pre-game show at 7:30 pm. On Saturday, the Blades travel north to Edmonton for a matchup with the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings in their first ever visit to Rexall Place.

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