Sbisa Punches Ticket To Vancouver Olympics
Published on December 30, 2009 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Lethbridge Hurricanes News Release
Lethbridge, AB - The Lethbridge Hurricanes are very proud to congratulate defenseman Luca Sbisa (LOU-kaa Ss-BEE-zah) on his selection for Team Switzerland at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Sbisa is currently competing in the 2010 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in the Regina and Saskatoon as Team Switzerland's captain. This means he will hold the unique honor of being a CHL player and representing his country in both the World Juniors and Olympics in the same season. The Olympics in Vancouver will be his first and mark his third time donning his country's colors in major competition after also playing in the 2008 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in the Czech Republic. That season he was one of two players to participate in that tournament, as former Hurricanes forward Zach Boychuk represented Team Canada in the first of his two U-20 World Junior appearances. Sbisa has also played many tournaments at the U-18 level for Team Switzerland. Sbisa was reassigned to Lethbridge from the Anaheim Ducks this fall and in 96 WHL regular season games with the Canes he has scored 61 points (11G, 50A) and notched a career +15 plus/minus rating and 100 PIMs. He also proved himself as a WHL playoff performer; in 30 WHL Playoff games he has scored 18 points (5G, 13A) while posting a +8 plus/minus and 29 PIMs, leading all WHL d-men in scoring in the 08 playoffs.
He was one of two CHL Import Draft picks the Hurricanes made in 2007; the first was Finnish goaltender Juha Metsola. Sbisa went from being relatively unknown to being ranked in the Top 20 of North American Players by Central Scouting for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Sbisa was also a member of Team Red at the 2008 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects game. He was the recipient of the 2007-2008 Carl Trentini Memorial Award for the Hurricanes rookie of the year and was selected in the first round (19th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. Sbisa signed an entry level NHL contract that fall and began the season as a member of the Flyers where he played 39 NHL games before being returned to the Canes at the end of last season and joining the Ducks during this past off season.
Don't forget to tune into the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship in Saskatchewan, which will run until January 5, 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games take place in Vancouver, British Columbia from Feb. 12-28.
Luca Sbisa Player Information
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 205
Position: D
Shoots: L
Birthdate: January 30th, 1990
Hometown: Oberageri, Switzerland
Biography:
2009-10
- NHL D-man Luca Sbisa was reassigned to the Canes this season by Anaheim (NHL)
- Sbisa has now played a total of 47 NHL games and made his NHL playoff debut in 2008-09 with the Flyers before being dealt to the Ducks along with Joffrey Lupul in the Chris Pronger trade in the summer of 2009
- Entering this season, Sbisa had wrapped a stellar career in Lethbridge; in 80 regular season games he scored 48 points (10G, 38A) a +15 plus/minus and 82 PIMs. In 30 WHL Playoff games he scored 18 points (5G, 13A) a +8 plus/minus and 29 PIMs, leading all WHL d-men in scoring in the 08 playoffs.
- Selected to play for Team Switzerland at both the 2010 IIHF WJHC in Saskatchewan (where he was named Captain) and the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver
2008-09
- Sbisa signed an entry level NHL contract in 2008 and began the season as a member of the Flyers where he played 39 NHL games before being returned to the Canes in '09
- Posted 15 points (4G, 11A, 4PPG) in 18 WHL games.
2007-2008
- Sbisa was selected in the second round 79th overall in the 2007 CHL Import Draft
- He was one of two CHL Import Draft picks the Hurricanes made in 2007
- Sbisa went from being relatively unknown to being ranked in the Top 20 of North American Players by Central Scouting for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
- Represented his home country of Switzerland in the 2008 IIHF U-20 World Junior Hockey Championships
- A Member of Team Red at the 2008 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects game
- Recipient of the 07-08 Carl Trentini Memorial Award for the Canes rookie of the year
- Selected in the first round (19th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers.
Western Hockey League Stories from December 30, 2009
- Blades Hold On For 4-3 Victory In Seattle - Saskatoon Blades
- Americans Trade Martyniuk To Regina - Tri-City Americans
- Calgary Hitmen Donate Over $7,000 To Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank - Calgary Hitmen
- Sbisa Punches Ticket To Vancouver Olympics - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Blades Alumnus Erat Makes Team Czech Republic - Saskatoon Blades
- Wheat Kings Obtain Veteran Raedeke - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Blades Begin Tour Of U.S. Division Against T-Birds - Saskatoon Blades
- Canada Improves To 3-0 - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Pechurskiy Blanks 'Tips 1-0 In WHL Debut - Tri-City Americans
- Brad Ross And Ryan Johansen Combine For Seven Points In 4-3 Win - Portland Winterhawks
- Americans Shut Out Silvertips, 1-0 - Everett Silvertips
- Oil Kings Salvage Point Versus Lethbridge - Edmonton Oil Kings
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.
