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WHL Edmonton Oil Kings

Three Oil Kings Invited to Canadian World Junior Selection Camp

December 1, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings News Release


Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Oil Kings goaltender Sebastian Cossa, along with forwards Jake Neighbours and Dylan Gunther have been invited to attend the Canadian National Junior Team's Selection Camp.

In addition to being named to the camp roster, it was also announced that Cossa will be one of the three goaltenders on the team to begin the tournament on Boxing Day. He will become the fourth Oil Kings player in modern franchise history to play for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships, joining Mark Pysyk (2011), Griffen Reinhart (2012, 2013) and Curtis Lazar (2013).

The Oil Kings trio make up three of the 35 players named to the selection camp by Hockey Canada earlier today. The camp will begin on December 9 in Calgary, Alberta. The 2022 World Juniors will begin Boxing Day in Edmonton, Alberta and Red Deer, Alberta.

Cossa, a Fort McMurray, AB native, is in his third season with the Oil Kings and has posted a career record of 51-10-4-3 with a 2.04 goals-against average, .928 save percentage and 10 shutouts.

This past summer, he was drafted in the first-round, 15th-overall, by the Detroit Red Wings at the 2021 NHL Draft.

This season, he has started all but four games for the Oil Kings, registering a 13-3-2-1 record with a 2.18 goals-against average, .927 save percentage and two shutouts.

Last season, he was named the WHL's Central Division Goaltender of the Year after posting a near perfect record of 17-1-0-1 with a 1.57 goals-against average, .941 save percentage and four shutouts.

The 6-foot-6, 215-pound goaltender represented Canada on one prior occasion, playing for Team Canada White at the 2018 World Under-17 Challenge.

Neighbours, an Airdrie, AB product, is in his fourth season with the Oil Kings and has appeared in 148 career games, racking up 141 points (46G, 95A), 95 penalty minutes and a +51 plus/minus rating.

The 6-foot, 197-pound left-winger began this season with the NHL's St. Louis Blues, appearing in nine games and scoring two points (1G, 1A) before being assigned back to the Oil Kings on November 10.

Since rejoining the Oil Kings, he has put up 10 points (3G, 7A), eight penalty minutes and a +4 plus/minus rating in seven games, while also being named the team's 14th captain in modern franchise history.

The Blues prospect has represented Canada multiple times. He first dawned the Maple Leaf at the 2018 World Under-17 Challenge as he captained Team Canada White at the tournament. He then served as an alternate captain with Team Canada at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he won a silver medal.

Neighbours was selected in the first-round, 26th-overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Blues.

Guenther, an Edmonton, AB native, is in his third season with the Oil Kings and has played 100 career games, scoring 114 points (54G, 60A), 40 penalty minutes and a +55 plus/minus rating.

This past summer he was selected in the first-round, ninth-overall, by the Arizona Coyotes at the 2021 NHL Draft.

Through 22 games played this year, he currently ranks ninth in the WHL points with 27 and fourth in goals with 13.

Last season he was named the WHL's Central Division Player of the Year and Most Sportsmanlike Player after putting up 24 points (12G, 12A) in just 12 games during the pandemic shortened season. Following his rookie season in 2019-20, he was named the WHL's Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Oil Kings player in franchise history to capture the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy after setting franchise records for both points (59) and goals (26) by a rookie.

The 6-foot-1, 181-pound centermen has represented Canada on two previous occasions. He played for Team Canada White at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and then helped Canada capture gold at the 2021 World Under-18 Hockey Championship for the first time since 2013 after putting up seven points (4G, 3A) in seven games while also serving as an alternate captain.

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