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WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Schneider Makes Team Canada Roster for 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship

December 11, 2020 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Red Deer, AB - Defenceman Braden Schneider of the Brandon Wheat Kings will be one of the 25 players representing Team Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton, AB, Hockey Canada announced Friday.

"It feels great," says Schneider. "It's every Canadian kid's dream to be able to represent your country at the World Juniors and to come so close and to be sent home last year, it was tough. But looking back at it, I wouldn't change the outcome because I got better as a person and a player because of it."

Schneider narrowly missed making the team a year ago when he was one of the final cuts made for the 2020 roster that ultimately won gold in Ostrava, Czech Republic. After being drafted in this year's NHL Entry Draft 19th overall by the New York Rangers, Schneider entered this year's Hockey Canada camp with another year of Western Hockey League experience under his belt. In 60 games-played during the 2019-20 season, the 6'2, 210 lbs Schneider had 7 goals and 35 assists for the Wheat Kings with a +9 rating to go along with 42 penalty minutes.

The announcement of Canada's roster comes on the heels of a 26-day selection camp that included a mandatory two-week quarantine after members of the Team Canada camp were diagnosed with coronavirus.

"This year was definitely a different process but the staff with Hockey Canada and everyone involved were awesome at giving us what we needed to make sure we got through it. Now that the selection process is done I'm looking forward to what's to come."

Held from December 25-January 5, this year's tournament will be unlike any other. Due to safety measures in response to COVID-19, no fans will be inside Rogers Place for the duration of the tournament and all athletes and staff members will be regularly tested.

"We're really happy for Braden and his family, as it's a childhood dream come true for Braden" says Wheat Kings General Manager, Darren Ritchie. "He will be a great representative for the Wheat Kings on the international stage and we hope he and his teammates can achieve their ultimate goal of winning the tournament".

The final roster, which includes three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 14 forwards, was selected by Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.), senior vice-president of national teams for Hockey Canada, with assistance from Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont./Moose Jaw, WHL), the U20 lead for the Program of Excellence management group, and Ben Shutron (Orleans, Ont.), manager of national teams for Hockey Canada. Head coach André Tourigny (Nicolet, Que./Ottawa, OHL) and assistant coaches Tyler Dietrich (West Vancouver, B.C./Saskatoon, WHL), Michael Dyck (Lethbridge, Alta./Vancouver, WHL) and Mitch Love (Quesnel, B.C./Saskatoon, WHL) also provided input into the final roster selections.

Canada kicks off its tournament schedule on Dec. 26 against Germany at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast all 28 tournament games and the 10 pre-tournament games that begins Dec. 20. TSN Radio will also provide comprehensive tournament coverage, including all Team Canada pre-tournament and tournament games through to the gold medal game.

You can read the full Hockey Canada media release here: https://hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/news/2020-21-njt-wjc-roster-named

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