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OHL Erie Otters

Schaefer, Royston Named to Hockey Canada 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Roster

October 23, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Erie Otters News Release


Erie, Pennsylvania - Hockey Canada has announced the 44 players who will compete with Team Canada Red and Team Canada White at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Nov. 2-11 in Charlottetown and Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada. For the Erie Otters, two of the team's exciting rookies, Matthew Schaefer and Wesley Royston have been named together to Team Canada White.

The players chosen to represent their country were selected by Hockey Canada U17 head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB),U17 head scout, and U17 lead with the Program of Excellence management group and Erie general manager Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON/Erie, OHL), with assistance from regional scouts Rob Simpson (Ontario), Pierre Cholette (Quebec), Darren Sutherland (Atlantic) and Darrell Woodley (Ontario).

Matthew Schaefer (#1 overall) and Wesley Royston (#24 overall) were the top-two picks of the Erie Otters in the Summer's 2023 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection Draft, and have been staples of the team's lineup throughout the entirety of the 2023-24 season thus far. Schaefer scored his first OHL goal on Thursday, October 12 at Niagara in an Otters win. Over the past weekend, Royston showcased his physical prowess in a tough three-in-three, including dropping the gloves at home on Saturday night.

"This summer we took the first step in introducing 66 young athletes to our Program of Excellence, which included preparations for short-term international competition," said Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), senior manager of hockey operations with Hockey Canada. "We are grateful for the commitment and input from our support staff to ensure our teams are ready for competition starting Nov. 2. We couldn't be more excited for the 44 players we have selected to represent Canada at this prestigious tournament and believe they will give us the best chance to compete for a gold medal."

The Canadian squads are in action on opening day, November 2. Canada White hosts Czechia at Credit Union Place in Summerside at 12 P.M. Atlantic Time. Red and White will meet in the lone all-Canadian matchup in the preliminary round on Nov. 3 in Summerside.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along on Facebook, X and Instagram.

The Otters organization congratulates Matthew and Wesley on this honor and recognition, and wishes them the best in their pursuits and development with Hockey Canada.

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