WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Robak, Schenn Named To Under 18 Team

Published on April 2, 2008 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Brandon, Manitoba - The Western Hockey League's Brandon Wheat Kings will be well represented at the 2008 World Under 18 Hockey Tournament later this month.

16-year old center Brayden Schenn and 17-year old defenceman Colby Robak were among the 22 players chosen to the team Wednesday.

The tournament will be held April 13th to 23rd in Kazan, Russia. The team will be assembled this weekend in Toronto, led by Hockey Canada head scout Al Murray, will fly to Europe on Monday and will play two pre-tournament games against Belarus and Finland, before opening the tournament against Germany on the 13th.

A Gilbert Plains, Manitoba product, Robak was ranked 8th among North American skaters by Central Scouting at the mid term rating period. A former member of the Manitoba team that captured a bronze medal at last year's Canada Winter Games, Robak played in January's Top Prospects Game in Edmonton and is eligible for this June's National Hockey League Entry Draft.

Schenn meanwhile is coming off an outstanding season - his first - in the WHL. In addition to leading the league in rookie scoring with 28 goals and 71 points in 66 games, the Saskatoon product has been named the Eastern Conference Finalist for WHL Rookie of the Year.

Robak and Schenn are two of 7 WHLers named to the team. The others include Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert of Regina, two members of the Kelowna Rockets - Brandon McMillan and Tyler Myers and Moose Jaw Warriors' defenceman Travis Hamonic, a 17-year old Winnipeg product.

Six players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League were chosen as well as nine from the Ontario Hockey League.

The roster is comprised of players born in 1990 or earlier whose teams are no longer competing in the Canadian Hockey League playoffs with their respective teams. Many of Canada's players named today will be among the top selections at June's National Hockey League Entry Draft in Ottawa. One that won't be is Schenn, who won't be eligible to be chosen until the 2009 draft.

Of the 22 players named today, only four are 16-year olds. Joining Schenn are Ryan Ellis and Taylor Hall of the OHL's Windsor Spitfires and Mathew Duchene of the Brampton Batallion.

The Canadian team will be coached by former National Hockey League bench boss Pat Quinn, Red Deer Rebels' head coach Jesse Wallin and Guy Boucher of the Drummondville Voltigeurs. While Wallin served as an assistant to Brian Sutter in Red Deer last winter, Quinn's last coaching assignment was with the Toronto Maple Leafs two years ago. He's perhaps best known for leading Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

This tournament will be Quinn's ninth appearance at an international event for Canada, his first since serving as head coach of Canada's National Mens Team at last year's Spengler Cup.

Check out the Brandon Wheat Kings Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Western Hockey League Stories from April 2, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central