2017 World Junior Preview: December 24, 2016 by HockeyNow

December 24, 2016

HockeyNow.ca

HockeyNow December 24, 2016

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR. WORK IS wrapping up for another calendar year, Christmas is here, and the World Juniors are on. What could be better? There have been a ton of great story lines coming out this year’s event. We’re seeing a lot of Canadian players who are eligible but in the NHL and not coming to the tournament (I still can’t believe McDavid is still eligible, can you imagine if he returned?… dreaming, I know). Canada only has one gold and one bronze in the last five tournaments. And both of these were on home ice. So we’re back on home ice again, will that mean another medal? Statistically it’s likely, but as the World Juniors have shown us time and and time again, there’s no guarantee. The field of competition just keeps getting stronger and the difference between Canada, Sweden, USA, Finland and Russia is minute. Plus, as we’ve seen, the other countries aren’t exactly underdogs. The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Switzerland are scrappy and always have an upset in them. They may not be deep enough to win it all but we can count on them to cause some damage. Canada looks very strong on the top end skill of their forwards and should be able to score with anyone. Even though there’s only one returnee on the blue line, the defence is looking solid too. It may come down to goaltending again – which hasn’t exactly boded well for us in the past. Both goalies are top shelf, but neither has won a major championship as a junior player or a high performance member. That’s not to say they can’t become the MVP (and I hope they do), but there’s something about the experience of winning the big game that helps a lot. It’s a big thrill to see two past HockeyNow Minor Hockey Player of the Year winners in Mathew Barzal (2012 POY) and Dante Fabbro (2013 POY) make the team along with past finalist Michael McLeod. A big tip of the hat to our friends at ISS Hockey (International Scouting Services) who have been pulling together our POY Top 10 lists over the past several years. They’ve been watching these players from a young age and I’m sure they’re pretty happy to see this year’s lineup too. So who will win? Great question. Sweden seems to be the odds-on favourite based on returning players and a number high draft picks. Finland is without their top 3 from last year, Puljujarvi, Aho and Laine, who are now all having an impact in the NHL. Russia doesn’t have a load of returnees but is on a six-year medal run, the longest active. And what about the USA? All I know is that I’ll be watching every Canada game and a bunch more. Check out our WJC preview here and online at hockeynow.ca and make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter, so you can catch all the latest tournament news. Enjoy the tourney, and, Go Canada!!

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NATIONAL EDITION Vol. 17, No. 16, Issue 671 - December 24, 2016

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HockeyNow 3145 Wolfedale Road Mississauga, ON, L5C 3A9 Telephone:1-877-990-0520 Contents copyright 2016 by HockeyNow. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or duplicated in print or on websites without the written permission of HockeyNow. The opinions conveyed by contributors to HockeyNow may not be indicative of the views of HockeyNow or Metroland Media Group Ltd. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, neither HockeyNow nor Metroland Media Group Ltd. assume any responsibility or liability for errors or omissions.

Congratulations to Joseph from Woodbridge ON for finding Billy and winning a Bauer hat and hooide. December 24, 2016 HockeyNow

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HockeyNow December 24, 2016

CONTENTS

DECEMBER 24, 2016

features... 12 ISS

10 TO WATCH Q & A WITH CANADA GOALTENDING COACH

TOP 31 NHL DRAFT ELIGIBLE PROSPECTS FOR DECEMBER

14 POY

PRELIMINARY LISTS FOR B.C., ALBERTA & ONTARIO

SIZING UP THE WORLD WJC ALL-TIME BESTS MEDAL PREDICTIONS PROFILES, INSIGHTS, STATS AND MORE…

in this issue... 6 CJHL

TEAM CANADA EAST EARNS SILVER AT 2016 WORLD JUNIOR A CHALLENGE

9 FEMALE

MEGAN BAERES SHARES WHAT IT MEANS TO MAKE CANADA’S U18 WORLD TEAM

10 MINOR

YOU CAN PLAY PROGRAM PAVING THE WAY FOR ACCEPTANCE AND INCLUSION

28 U SPORTS

WJC TRAINING CAMP GAMES MORE THAN EXHIBITION FOR SOME U SPORTS PLAYERS

29 NCAA

MOVE OVER JOST AND JAILLET, THESE CANADIANS ARE TEARING UP THE NCAA

28 December 24, 2016 HockeyNow

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CJHL

DENNIS PAJOT – HOCKEY CANADA IMAGES

JUNIOR

Team Canada East conceded the final game to Team USA 4-0 to take second place at the 2016 World Junior A Challenge in Bonnyville, Alta.

AROUND THE BCHL WILD FORWARD AVERAGING GOAL PER GAME After joining the Wenatchee Wild midway through last season, Charlie Combs averaged exactly a point per game. And now the 20-year-old forward has taken his production up a notch, averaging slightly more than a goal each outing with the Washington-based Wild, the lone American franchise in the BCHL. Combs had a league-high 33 goals after his first 32 matches. And with 16 assists to boot, Combs had 49 points, good for second place in the BCHL scoring race. Combs, who was born in St. Louis, joined the Wild last December. He came to the BCHL after splitting his time during the early portions of the 2015-16 campaign with a pair of franchises in the United States Hockey League, the Michigan-based Muskegon Lumberjacks and the Dubuque Fighting Saints in Iowa.

SILVER LININGS

Canada East stays consistent at World Junior A Challenge STORY Sam Laskaris

closer than it was. The Americans scored just once in the PAIR OF STREAKS CONTINUED AT THIS YEAR’S first period, in the final minute of play. World Junior A Challenge. But the U.S. then took control of the contest by scoring The United States extended its dominance at the three goals in the second frame. As it turned out, all of international tournament by blanking Canada East 4-0 the game’s goals had been scored by just past the midway in the championship final of this year’s event, staged in point of the middle period. Bonnyville, Alta. The Americans cruised to victory from there, outshootThe week-long tourney, which featured six squads, ing their counterparts 44-14. concluded on Saturday, Dec. 17. Though it gave up a late first-period goal, Canada East For the Americans, this marked the seventh time they have won the tournament, which has been held annually captain Owen Grant said his squad felt it still had a decent at a Canadian venue since 2006. chance to pull off a win after 20 minutes. The U.S. has won the gold medal every time it has “The message stayed the same,” said Grant, a defenceadvanced to the final. man well acquainted with Clarke since he plays in CarAs for the Canada East squad, it had to settle for silver leton Place. “We knew we were in the game, and we just yet again. This was the fifth time a Canada East club had had to come out and work hard. But they got a couple qualified for the gold medal match. It has never won. goals on us (early in the second period) and that did it.” “We just got beat by a better hockey team,” said Canada The World Junior A Challenge has always featured two East head coach Jason Clarke. “I’m very, very proud of Canadian entrants. our guys and the way they handled themselves.” The Canada West club did manage to win its final tourClarke, who is also the head coach/GM of the threenament match this year. But it did not capture a medal. time defending Central Canada Canada West, which won the Hockey League’s Carleton Place Catourney a year ago, defeated Switzerland 5-3 on Dec. 16. That game, nadians, felt the Canada East entry however, was staged to determine exceeded expectations. who would end up fifth and sixth “Nobody gave us a chance coming in the final standings. into the tournament,” he said. “And Meanwhile, Russia won a medal in nobody thought we’d win a medal. the tournament for the fourth conSo to be able to win silver, and be secutive year. The Russians downed able to play the way we did through the Czech Republic 7-4 in the bronze the tournament, we’re very happy.” medal match, also held on Dec. 16. Though the U.S. handily outshot The Russians were also bronze medCanada East (15-7) in the opening allists in 2014. And they captured the 20 minutes, there were early indica- Jason Clark, silver medal in 2013 and 2015. tions the game would turn out to be Canada East head coach

“I’M VERY, VERY

PROUD OF OUR GUYS AND THE WAY THEY HANDLED THEMSELVES.”

HockeyNow December 24, 2016

Combs will be returning to the U.S. next season as he has agreed to join the Bemidji State Beavers, an NCAA Division 1 club based in Minnesota.

EAGLES MOVING UP There was only one way for the Surrey Eagles to go. Up. The Eagles managed to win a mere seven out of their 58 regular season contests last season. That came on the heels of a nine-win effort the previous year. The Surrey squad not only failed to qualify for the playoffs both years. But it also finished dead last in the overall BCHL standings both seasons. Though there is still tons of room for improvement, the Eagles were faring better this season. After their first 34 contests they had already surpassed their win totals from the last two years. Surrey had posted a 12-20-2-0 record, good for fifth place in the league’s six-squad Mainland Division. The Eagles were three points behind the Langley Rivermen, who were occupying the fourth and final playoff spot in the division. Surrey needed a strong second half to catch up, especially since the Rivermen had played three fewer games.

TIGHT STANDINGS IN INTERIOR DIVISION Barring a colossal collapse, the Penticton Vees are expected to finish atop the standings in the league’s six-team Interior Division. But predicting the finishing order for all of the other squads in the division (Vernon Vipers, Trail Smoke Eaters, West Kelowna Warriors, Merritt Centennials and Salmon Arm Silverbacks) is considerably more challenging. As of Dec. 10, the Vees had a commanding 17-point lead in the division with their 26-5-1-0 record and 53 points. But after that, a mere six points separated the clubs ranked from second through sixth. As is the case in the league’s two other divisions, the top four finishers from the Interior grouping advance to the playoffs.

CJHL

AROUND THE AJHL STORM APPOINT NEW HEAD COACH Matt Keillor is now calling the shots for the Grande Prairie Storm. Previously an assistant coach with the club, Keillor was named the head coach/general manager of the Storm on Dec. 8. That’s the same day that Kevin Higo was fired from his coaching and managerial duties with the squad. Higo was in his final season of a three-year contract with the Grande Prairie franchise. But the club’s board was not pleased with how the season was developing as the Storm had managed to win just seven of its first 34 matches. Grande Prairie also had a 15-game winless streak earlier this season. The Storm, which has not enjoyed a winning season since the 2010-11 campaign, had not shown much improvement in the standings since Higo took over. Grande Prairie managed to win just 15 of its 60 regular season outings during the 2014-15 season. And then this past season it registered a mere 11 victories. Besides working as an assistant coach with the Storm, before his promotion Keillor was also the head coach for the organization’s Midget AAA squad this season. Storm officials have already indicated they will monitor Keillor’s progress the remainder of this season before deciding on whether he’ll stay on as the team’s head coach/GM next year.

MALTBY SCORING IN ALL SITUATIONS

AROUND THE OJHL BURLINGTON BLUELINER DISPLAYING OFFENSIVE PROWESS But Burlington Cougars defenceman Matt Watson is also proving that he also has a bit of a scoring touch.

And now it is gearing up to stage another one next month.

As of mid-December, the 20-year-old was leading all OJHL blueliners with 13 goals through his first 28 games. He had also chipped in with 16 assists for 29 points, giving him slightly more than a point-per-game average.

Cornwall was recently announced as the location for the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s Prospects Game.

Watson, who hails from London, Ont., is in his first season with the Burlington squad. And during his junior career he has bounced around to various squads. He got his first taste of junior hockey during his Minor Midget year when he was called up to play three Junior B contests with the London Nationals of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL). Watson spent the majority of the following season, 2012-13, with the GOJHL’s Strathroy Rockets. But he also suited up for eight matches with the Ontario Hockey League’s Kingston Frontenacs. Later on he had stints with the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers and Peterborough Petes. And he spent the majority of last season with the OJHL’s other team nicknamed the Cougars, in Cobourg. Prior to this year, the most points Watson had earned in one season during his junior days was when he collected 19 points, including 11 goals, in 45 games with Strathroy.

And yes, that includes even when his squad is shorthanded.

The Oakville Blades are one of the league’s most penalized teams.

As mid-December was approaching, the 20-year-old was leading the AJHL in goal scoring. He had netted 22 goals through 27 matches. Maltby had also earned 19 assists and with his 41 points was tied for fourth in the league’s scoring race.

But for the most part, the Blades have not been paying the price for their infractions which have resulted in plenty of time spent in the sin bin.

SOPHOMORE GOALIE REGISTERING SHUTOUTS Goalie Pierce Diamond had a respectable rookie campaign a year ago with the Lloydminster Bobcats. Diamond posted a 13-4-0 record and a 2.66 goalsagainst average in 19 appearances. But Diamond was not able to record his first junior shutout – until this season. Now a member of the Whitecourt Wolverines, the 18-year-old puckstopper has actually registered a league-leading four shutouts through his first 21 matches. Diamond was also sporting a 14-3-2 record and a 2.32 GAA.

CORNWALL TO HOST CJHL STARS The Cornwall Colts organization has hosted some rather prestigious events in the past.

BLADES PK TOPS LEAGUE

Maltby is in his third and final season with the Crusaders. Next season he’ll commence his NCAA career with the Arizona State Sun Devils.

AROUND THE CCHL

It has taken him until his final year of junior hockey.

Sherwood Park Crusaders forward Tyler Maltby is a threat to score whenever he’s on the ice.

Maltby’s offensive production included five powerplay markers. Plus he was also leading all AJHL players with three shorthanded goals.

JUNIOR

That’s because the Oakville club is leading the OJHL with an impressive 90.53 penalty killing efficiency. As of mid-December, the Blades were also in a four-way tie, along with the Markham Royals, Stouffville Spirit and St. Michael’s Buzzers, for top spot in the league with eight shorthanded goals. Six different Oakville players had scored the team’s goals while playing a man short. The Blades had racked up 652 penalty minutes through their first 32 contests. Only the Aurora Tigers had more with 657 minutes but they had played one game more than Oakville.

DUKES HAVE WORKHORSE GOALIE Connor Ryckman has certainly been seeing his share of action this season. The 20-year-old puckstopper had appeared in 30 out of the Wellington Dukes’ first 31 matches. Ryckman, who spent the previous two seasons in the league with the Newmarket Hurricanes, had posted a 17-12-1 record and a 2.37 goals-against average.

The match, scheduled for Jan. 25, will feature many of the Top Junior A players from across the country. All of the participants will be eligible to be selected in the 2017 National Hockey League’s Entry Draft. The game will include players from the 10 Junior A leagues that make up the CJHL. Players will be split up into Team West and Team East, the latter which will have participants from the CCHL. The game will be the latest feather in the cap for the Colts franchise. The squad hosted the national RBC Cup tournament in 2008. Five years before that, it was the host for the Fred Page Cup, a regional qualifier for the national tournament. And for each of the past two years, Cornwall has hosted the Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge. This showcase event has featured players from the CCHL, Ontario Junior Hockey League, Quebec Junior Hockey League, Maritime Hockey League and the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.

LEVESQUE EXCELS ON AND OFF ICE Hawkesbury Hawks forward Charles Levesque is one of the latest examples of hockey players excelling on the ice and in the classroom as well. The 18-year-old scooped up back-to-back CCHL academic player of the month awards. Levesque captured the award for his efforts on the ice and for his scholastic performances in October. He won the same honour for November. Levesque was maintaining an A- overall average in is Biochemistry classes at the University of Ottawa. And he was a force on the ice, leading all CCHL pointgetters in early December with 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists) in his first 34 contests. Though he is taking courses at the University of Ottawa, Levesque is not playing for the school team. Thus, he will still have four years of collegiate eligibility remaining. He’s accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, beginning with the 2018-19 campaign.

LASERS TURN PROGRAM AROUND Just past the midway mark of their season, the Kanata Lasers were on the verge of doubling the number of wins they had all of last year. Though there was still plenty of room for improvement, Kanata had won 12 of its first 35 matches this season. That’s a significant increase from the seven victories in registered in 62 contests a year ago.

December 24, 2016 HockeyNow

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

BURNABY WINTER CLUB ATOM C TEAM COMPETE ON AND OFF THE ICE FOR GOOD CAUSE BRUINS SET THEIR SIGHTS ON RAISING 3K FOR SICK KIDS The BWC Atom C Bruins have a big challenge ahead of them. The Bruins will travel to Penticton in early January to participate in the the 3rd annual Apex Winter Classic in support of the BC Children’s Hospital. The event which is hosted by the Kelowna Atom B Development team will be held at the Apex Mountain resort from January 5 to 8, 2017 with six teams competing for bragging rights on and off the ice. The most important and unique contest will take place off the ice where each team has been working hard towards raising money for the hospital. This year’s participating teams include Kelowna, West Kelowna, Penticton, Seafair and the Bruins. The Interior Division is made up of Kelowna, West Kelowna and Penticton with the Coast Division consisting of Burnaby Winter Club (A3); Seafair (A2) and Vancouver T-Birds (A3). “This is the Burnaby Winter Club’s first time at the Apex Mountain event, our team is very excited to be doing something to give back through their hockey,” said Roxanne Reid, who is coordinating the team’s fundraising efforts. The goal for each team is to raise $3,000.00. The Bruins Atom C team is hard at work trying to raise the funds and have come up with some pretty creative money generating ideas They have three fundraising efforts underway with the boys focusing their efforts to meet or exceed their $3000 fundraising target. “The team has started a FlipGive campaign where popular online retailers kick back a percentage of sales to their cause,” explained Reid. “The Bruins are also promoting direct contributions to BC Children’s Hospital through their unique URL. In addition they have also started a ‘Go Play Better’ campaign where they’ve set goals for themselves as individuals and as a team to

obtain donations towards BC Children’s Hospital as their reward.” The Go Play Better campaign provided instant dividends in that the team enjoyed a decent winning streak but most importantly received their sportsmanship points for every game. Of the six participating teams, one has already met the 3k level and is moving towards $4,000. Another organization is closing in the desired amount while the rest are still hard at work. With less than a month to go before the tournament, the BWC Bruins were sitting around the $1200 mark with time ticking down to reach their magic number. Having an outdoor tourney was the idea of Yannick Lescarbeau from the Kelowna Ice Dogs organization. Lescarbeau chose the Sick Kids Foundation after seeing siblings of hockey players struggle with health issues over the years. In addition, he was saddened by the fact that his own children didn’t realize how fortunate they are and wanted to raise awareness about the difficulties of others. “It teaches the kids some good life values and responsibility,” Lescarbeau said in the Penticton Western News. Now in its third year of existence, Lescarbeau plans to hold the event at Apex every winter. In Year 1, the tournament raised over $10,000, the goal for the 2017 edition is to hit the 20k mark. For more information about the event contact: Yannick Lescarbeau at 250-863-0188 or Lescarbeau@telus.net

Carson Usher sold hot chocolate and cookies to local sledders to help raise money for the BC Children’s Hospital.

To make a donation, visit: https://secure.bcchf.ca/SuperheroPag es/team.cfm?Event=AWC&Team=11135 8

HockeyNow December 24, 2016

NATIONAL

FEMALE

HOCKEY CANADA IMAGES

Maegan Beres is wearing a Team Canada jersey for the first time when she heads to the Czech Republic in early January to compete in the 2017 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship (left) after helping lead B.C. to bronze at the National Women's U18 Championships (right, 7).

LIVING THE DREAM Maegan Beres prepares to represent Canada, and B.C., at the U18 IIHF Women’s World Championship STORY Kristi Patton

HEN MAEGAN BERES HITS THE ICE WITH Team Canada at the U18 IIHF Women’s World Championship, it won’t be with just the 22 other players wearing the Maple Leaf. In her Team Canada debut, the 17-year-old from North Vancouver, playing with the North America Hockey Academy in the JWHL, will also have her sister with her. “I have this necklace that I always wear to symbolize what she told me, chase my dreams,” said Beres. Nothing extravagant, just an arrow pointing her the right way. Just as her sister Ali Beres, who is a member of the Western Mustangs that won the U Sports championships two years ago and was in the finals last year, has always done. “She is a huge supporter in my life. We use to listen to this song together driving back and forth to the rink, “Follow Your Arrow,” and Ali has a bracelet with an arrow on it. I always have the necklace with me because all the things she ever shared with me have stuck with me,” said Maegan. “The arrow just is something to remind me of her everyday.” The two grew up the best of friends, and Maegan said she always walked in her older sister’s footsteps. “She helped shape the person I have become. She is always the first person to tell me how proud she is to see me succeed and is so excited Maegan Beres

that I am playing with Team Canada,” said Maegan, who is Boston College bound next year with fellow Team Canada player Daryl Watts (Toronto, Ont./Mississauga PWHL) The forward will be looking to bring home gold with Team Canada at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship, Jan 7 to 15, in the Czech Republic. Canada took silver in 2016, losing gold to the U.S. for the second time in a row. Now Canada is hungry to win again and bring home their fifth gold in the tournament’s history. While it is a big event for Maegan, it is also a boon for British Columbia hockey. After making history as just the second team from B.C. to win a medal at nationals, held in November, four players from Team B.C. will be headed to the world championship. Team Canada’s B.C. representation is completed by Amy Potomak, Olivia Knowles and Courtney Vorster. “I think that team showed what B.C. hockey is all about. We inspired a bunch of people and little girls who are playing hockey or thinking about playing hockey. We motivated them and showed them that they can play at a high level. Now it is just huge for us getting to represent our province, wearing the Maple Leaf on our chest. It is a huge honour and we are all so excited for the world championship,” said Maegan. A strong work ethic and level head has got Maegan where she is today.

“I THINK THAT

TEAM SHOWED WHAT B.C. HOCKEY IS ALL ABOUT.”

The two-way forward will make an impact on both ends of the ice, and is a known leader. “I know what I can control and how hard I can skate, backcheck and battle. It is the little things that I like to do well and help others battle through adversity,” said Maegan. Joining Maegan on the Team Canada squad are seven players who were with the team last year when they won silver, and eight players who won a gold medal with Ontario Red at the national championship. The roster also includes national tournament award winners Knowles, Top Defenceman; Emma Maltais (Burlington, Ont./ Oakville, PWHL), Top Forward; Potomak, Most Valuable Player; Danika Ranger (Uxbridge, Ont./Durham PWHL), Top Goaltender; and Brette Pettet (Kentville, N.S./Shattuck’s St. Mary’s), Most Sportsmanlike. Standouts Potomak and Sophie Shirley (Saskatoon, Sask./Okanagan Hockey Academy) will also play at the world championship, after their stint with the senior national team in a two-game exhibition series against the U.S. (Dec. 17 and Dec. 19). While their toughest match should be against the U.S. in the preliminaries, Maegan is excited to soak in every second of the tournament. “I just can’t wait for it all to get going. I want to be with the girls, the team, feel that first moment on the ice. I’m excited and ready for this. I feel so prepared. This is a dream come true for me and I want to get going,” said Maegan. Canada opens up the 2017 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship against Sweden Jan. 7, then will face Russia on Jan. 8 before battling against the U.S. on Jan. 10. The medal games are scheduled for Jan. 14. December 24, 2016 HockeyNow

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MINOR

FEATURE

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Justin Connelly (below, and front, right in group photo) is a You Can Play Ambassador and member of the Calgary Pioneers, an all-gay hockey team. He said he sees hockey moving forward in its acceptance of LGBTQ players thanks to increased education and awareness.

A SAFE SPACE You Can Play Project making progress for LGBTQ players in sport with support from organizations and teams STORY Neil Hilts

OCKEY IS A SPORT THAT’S CREDITED WITH building lifelong friendships and developing strong communication and teamwork skills while bonding in the locker room and on the ice. For many players, the moments before and after games can be what they miss most, but for others who must hide aspects of their life from teammates (and sometimes friends and family, initially), it can be like living a lie. Gay and hockey don’t typically go together. From the homophobic language used to the macho culture, it can make the sport intimidating and tough for teenagers to accept who they really are. Minor hockey organizations have been working on acceptance of all ethnicities for years, and more recently, sexualities. Despite being a rugged sport, there are gay hockey players, and almost none reveal it to their teammates during their time in minor hockey. Justin Connelly is a gay hockey player who recently came out in his 20s and is now an ambassador for You Can Play, which “works to ensure the safety and inclusion of all in sports – including LGBTQ athletes, coaches and fans.” (youcanplayproject.org) “I kind of knew in my later years, Bantam and Midget, that something was a little different than some of my teammates, that I did feel a little bit different in the dressing room,” Connelly said. “Going through that, there has been the mentality that environment is acceptable to use derogatory terms and to say ‘that’s so gay’ and for it to be acceptable. It’s part of that hockey mindset and hockey culture.” Now a member of the Calgary Pioneers, an all-gay team in the Calgary Winsport Canada Hockey League (WCHL) and Calgary Gay Hockey Association (CGHA), Connelly

HockeyNow December 24, 2016

sees progress being made in hockey’s acceptance. “[You Can Play] thought up to this point a player already would have come out and they’ve both said they know there are gay hockey players,” Connelly said. “Again, it’s a huge personal thing for those players to come out and don’t want to force it.” Chris Mosier, the vice president of program development and community relations for You Can Play, admitted it would have a big impact if an NHL came out, but they’re not pushing for it. “Our end goal is not to get people to out,” Mosier said. “We know that there are athletes who may be out to their teammates but just aren’t publicly out. Statistically we know there has to be players who identify as LGBTQ in professional sports but there are a lot of reasons why people do or don’t come out.” Changing Language Connelly said one big obstacle to overcome is the homophobic language and culture around the game. “It can be tough on kids, not just gay players, if they may be trans, having identity issues or somebody bisexual – it could be any part of the LGBTQ community and they don’t know who they are. If they hear those terms in the dressing room or around that sport environment, they don’t feel comfortable,” Connelly said. “They have fear and it’s the same with adults. I know there are some guys on our team who haven’t played in 20 years because they just didn’t feel comfortable playing hockey anymore because of who they were.” Meanwhile, Mosier spoke about You Can Play’s goal towards eliminating verbal insults and hurtful comments.

“A lot of the work You Can Play does is around how language impacts and shapes the environment that we play and participate in, Mosier said. “Also how that can limit players, athletes, coaches, fans and other people involved in the sport their ability to fully participate and to feel comfortable. That respectful language piece is such a key component of the work we do.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE As acceptance of all types continues in hockey, it also is progressing massively in day-to-day life. “What I think we will see – as we educate coaches, parents and the older supporting system of minors – more young people be comfortable being their authentic self at a younger age. That’s the trend that we’re moving towards and a direction society is going,” Mosier said. “More and more young people are starting to identify as something other than heterosexual – they’re identifying as LGBTQ. We’re seeing that it’s more commonly accepted among young people, athletes and non-athletes... it’s not uncommon for them to have a gay or lesbian brother or sister or to have same sex parents.” “As our message says, if you can play, you can play. As a young hockey player, it doesn’t matter what your sexual orientation or your gender identity is,” Mosier concluded. Connelly ended with encouragement for current or future minor hockey players. “Whatever they’re going through, people are trying to help make a difference,” he said. “There are allies out there that are willing to help them and help them get through what they’re going through. Talk to somebody because there are people out there.”

HAVE YOU FOUND ME YET? Keep looking for your chance to win a BAUER HAT AND HOODIE. More info on PAGE 3

ACROSS CANADA

BRITISH COLUMBIA MINOR HOCKEY NEWS

ALBERTA MINOR HOCKEY NEWS

ONTARIO MINOR HOCKEY NEWS

VALLEY WEST HAWKS HOLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY

ALBERTA HOCKEY DAY

COACH RECEIVES MEDAL OF ONTARIO

Normally the ones on the ice, the Surrey Stingrays were given a premier experience watching B.C. Major Midget hockey in Langley. The Stingrays, an autistic minor hockey team, were the guests of honour during Autism Awareness Day, hosted by the Valley West Hawks on Dec. 11. The Hawks defeated the South Island Royals 7-6 in a high-scoring, eventful game. Autism is a close cause to the Valley West Hawks – general manager Rob Evers and head coach Jessie Leung both have a nephew with autism, while assistant coach Kyle Spencer’s son is autistic. Thanks to a partnership with the Canucks Autism Network (CAN), the Hawks invited the Stingrays and gave them the VIP experience. The CAN gives “sports, recreational, social and arts programs for individuals and families living with autism, while building awareness and providing training through community networks across British Columbia”, according to their website. Created in 2014, the Surrey Stingrays are one of two teams supported by CAN – the Vancouver Orcas are the other. Last year, the teams played in a tournament on World Autism Awareness Day in April and will do so again this spring. The goal of the Hawks hosting the Stingrays was to give a fun experience for the Stingrays while raising awareness that there are sports and other activities available to families of kids who have autism. Along with hosting the team, the Hawks had a donation box out to collect funds, plus raffle tickets were sold for various prizes. The event raised just shy of $900 for the Canucks Autism Network.

HOCKEY DAY IN HAZELTON Twenty-five players in small B.C. town with a population of around 300 had a dream day at the end of November thanks to the Vancouver Canucks. Hockey Day in Hazelton was celebrated by the Hazelton Minor Hockey Association (HMHA) and three iconic former Vancouver Canucks helped make it special. Kirk McLean, Jyrki Lumme and Dave Babych (one of HockeyNow’s Minor Hockey Player of the Year selection committee co-chairs), members of the ’94 team that went on a cup run, signed autographs and gave lessons to the youngsters. Plus, thanks to the Canucks ‘Learn to Play’ program, the skaters were outfitted with new entirely new gear. This was incredibly valuable for the kids and their families, especially since the closest city to buy gear would likely be Smithers (one hour away) or Prince George (more than five hours away). In fact, Hazelton is a very remote city, located more than a 13-hour drive from Vancouver, and farther north than Prince Rupert. It’s tough for players to find opponents within a relatively close distance. Three players born in Hazelton have played in the National Hockey League: Ron Homenuke, Alan Kerr and Brandon Smith. Homenuke managed just one game, while Smith played 33. Homenuke had the most with 391 caps. There are currently a few Hazelton-born skaters playing in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, a Junior B circuit, but even that is hours away.

On Jan. 21, Alberta will be hosting Alberta Hockey Day for the first time. The day will be a celebration and showcase of female hockey. The main event will take place in Grand Prairie, highlighted by both on-ice and off-ice activities, along with two-time gold medalist and former Team Alberta player Carla MacLeod. The day will begin with clinics for each age group, then there will be ice times to try goalie and try hockey for first-timers, a big goal for the overall weekend. Off-ice seminars are available for players, coaches and families alike, plus fans can tune into an Alberta Female Hockey League (AFHL) game. Along with Grand Prairie, Olds, Red Deer, Edmonton, Calgary, Banff/Canmore, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Leduc, and Lloydminster will have smaller scale showcases, including viewings of AFHL games. It’s been an incredible year for growth of female hockey in Alberta, and this is another big step to promote the game to gain more players, increase retention of players and generally promote the game.

MAC’S MIDGET TOURNAMENT TEAMS REVEALED It’s a short Christmas break for hundreds of Midget Hockey players as they’ll vie for the prestigious Mac’s Midget Tournament Championship. Commencing on Boxing Day, 25 male and 10 female teams begin round robin play in one of the world’s largest and most competitive tournaments. Eight international teams will venture to Calgary: Alaska, Arizona, Austria U18, Belarus U17, Hungary U18, New Jersey, New York and San Jose. Last year, the Calgary AAA Flames defended the home ice of the NHL’s Flames with a victory over the Lloydminster AAA Bobcats, keeping the trophy in the city year-round. On the girl’s side, the Northern Cougars of Prince George won the championship with a 5-1 victory over the Rocky Mountain Raiders. Many future NHL and CWHL players get to play in the Mac’s and it is generally the largest crowds they see in this part of their career. Notable alumni include Brittany Esposito, Mike Modano, Zach Parise, Jarome Iginla, Jonathan Toews, Dany Heatley and Sidney Crosby. Players to watch this year are 2016 WHL No. 1 pick, Peyton Krebs (Foothills CFR), No. 2 pick Logan Barlage (Prince Albert), former NHLer Mike Sillinger’s son Lukas (Regina), University of North Dakota commit Harrison Blaisdell (Regina), top WHL goalie drafted last year Taylor Gauthier (Calgary Buffaloes), Nikita Pyshkaylo (Belarus) and top 2020 NHL draft prospect Marco Rossi (Austria). Nicole Fry (Rocky Mountain Raiders) leads the Alberta Female Hockey League (AFHL) Midget AAA Division in goals and points, while Mackenna Parker (Saskatoon) is second in Saskatchewan Midget AA scoring. Northern’s Braxtyn Shawara and Cailey Mellot are both at nearly has a goal a game over in B.C. AAA play. Both the male and female finals will be played at the Scotiabank Saddledome on New Year’s Day, and with crowds as large as 10,000 in the past, it will be chalk full of viewers.

MINOR

Nearly 15 years ago, Steve Sanderson wanted to get more kids playing hockey in Kitchener after realizing many families couldn’t afford it. He’s the head custodian at Pioneer Park Public School and created the Panther Hockey Program in 2002. Now, he’s been recognized with an Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship by the Ontario Government. According to the Ontario website, “The Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship recognizes individuals who, through exceptional long-term efforts, have made outstanding contributions to their communities.” Sanderson’s program offers free gear and ice time for kids in grades one to six. He’s got 145 kids who get the chance to play hockey, and after this recognition, he said he plans to keep it going and potentially grow it with more help.

2016 GTHL TOP PROSPECTS GAME The future stars of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) showcased their skills in the eighth annual Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL) in North York, Ont. in a jam-packed arena. The GTHL’s top 40 Midget AAA players were coached by former NHLer and current Sportsnet analyst Nick Kypreos and former NHL coach and general manager Doug MacLean, and the latter guided his team to the victory on Dec. 13. Team MacLean won 5-2 over Team Kypreos after leading for most of the game. Eric Ciccolini (Kypreos) and Mason Primeau (MacLean) each scored a goal and earned the MVP for their teams. Scott Oakman, the executive director of the GTHL, said the league holds showcases like this to give players a memorable hockey experience. “It is one of our premier events for the elite players,” he said. Oakman explained this is not only a fun experience for the players, but a great event for scouts to attend. “We think this is a great opportunity for players to be able to showcase their skills at a best-on-best event,” Oakman said. “It tests each player against his peers while also puts each player under the spotlight and is a good test to see how each player can respond in this environment. We also think it is a great scouting opportunity for the Ontario Hockey League teams.” Event alumni include current NHL standouts Connor McDavid, Darnell Nurse, Max Domi, Sean Monahan, Sam Bennett, Tom Wilson, and many more. The No. 1 pick of last year’s OHL Draft, Ryan Merkley, played in the game twice, most recently last year, and has quickly ascended to become of the top prospects for the 2018 NHL Draft. According to the GTHL, 63 per cent of players in the Top Prospects game have gone on to play in the OHL. It’s likely many of these players will be selected in the first round of the 2017 OHL Draft. “We have always experienced tremendous support from friends and family members of the players, the scouting community and fans of the game in general. We always have a great crowd which is fantastic for the players participating in the game,” Oakman said.

December 24, 2016 HockeyNow

11 19 11

RANKED PROSPECTS

NTERNATIONAL SCOUTING SERVICES RELEASED THEIR THIRD LIST OF THE SEASON, the Top 31 NHL Draft Eligible Prospects for December. A third of the way down is Callan Foote, who is currently ranked 11th and is way in the lead as the top scoring defenceman on the Rockets this year. No question he’ll be a huge get at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. POS

BIRTH

HT./WT.

TEAM

NOLAN PATRICK

9/19/1998

6.02.5/190

Brandon, WHL

TIMOTHY LILJEGREN

4/30/1999

6.00/191

Rogle, SweJE

GABE VILARDI

8/16/1999

6.03/201

Windsor, OHL

OWEN TIPPETT

2/16/1999

6.01.5/202

Mississauga, OHL

MICHAEL RASMUSSEN

4/17/1999

6.05.75/215

Tri-City, WHL

KLIM KOSTIN

5/5/1999

6.03.5/183

Dynamo, KHL

KRISTIAN VESALAINEN

6/1/1999

6.04/202

Frolunda, SweJE

NICO HISCHIER

1/4/1999

6.00/174

Halifax, QMJHL

EELI TOLVANEN

4/22/1999

5.11.75/181

Sioux City, USHL

NICOLAS HAGUE

12/5/1998

6.05.5/206

Mississauga, OHL MARISSA BAECKER/SHOOT THE BREEZE

PLAYER

11 CALLAN FOOTE Kelowna, WHL

BORN December 13, 1998 in Englewood, CO, USA WEIGHT 213

11/12/1998

JUUSO VALIMAKI

10/6/1998

6.01.25/156 6.01.5/200

NIKITA A. POPUGAEV

11/20/1998

6.04.5/191

Moose Jaw, WHL

MAXIME COMTOIS

1/8/1999

6.02.25/199

Victoriaville, QMJHL

SASHA CHMELEVSKI

6/9/1999

5.11.25/191

Ottawa, OHL

RYAN POEHLING

1/3/1999

6.01.75/183

St. Cloud State, NCHC

MARTIN NECAS

1/15/1999

6.00.5/167

Brno Kometa HC, CzeE

STELIO MATTHEOS

6/14/1999

6.00.75/192

Brandon, WHL

LUKE MARTIN

9/20/1998

6.02.5/207

Michigan, BigTen

CODY GLASS

4/1/1999

6.01.75/180

Portland, WHL

URHO VAAKANAINEN

1/1/1999

SweAl Timra, Tri-City, WHL

For Sale For Sale

For Sale

ELIAS PETTERSSON

Green Bay, USHL

Junior A Hockey Team

For SaleJunior A Hockey Team

For Sale

5.11.5/192

11/22/1998

CASEY MITTELSTADT

Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) Fo Junior A Hockey Team Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL)

Junior A Hockey Team

JuniorWell A Hockey LocatedTeam – GTA West

Ontario Junior Hockey

Ontario Junior Hockey Ontario Junior Hockey LeagueLeague (OJHL)

(OJHL)

Well Located – GTA West

6.01/187 JYP Jyvaskyla, FinE CONTACT: FOR MORE DETAILS FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT:

Well Located – GTA Well Located – West GTA

Well Located – GTA We

West

SHANE BOWERS

7/30/1999

OSTAP SAFIN

2/11/1999

Alisha McLean | amclean@cbci.ca Direct 289-291-5085 Main 905-338-8877 North Service Rd. W - Ste.7 6.01.25/178 AlishaWaterloo, McLean USHL | amclean@cbci.ca Direct 289-291-5085 Main 905-338-887711551155 North Service Rd. W - Ste.7 Coldwell Banker Commercial Integrity Real Estate Oakville, ON ON Fax Fax905-338-8879 Cell Cell905-630-4424 Coldwell Banker Commercial Integrity Real Estate Oakville, 905-338-8879 905-630-4424

HENRI JOKIHARJU

6/17/1999

5.11.75/176

LIAS ANDERSSON

10/13/1998

5.11.5/198

MATTHEW STROME

Banker Commercial Integrity 1/6/1999Coldwell 6.03.5/206 Hamilton, OHL Real Estate

ROBIN SALO

LUKAS ELVENES

8/18/1999

6.04.5/198

Sparta, CzeJr

FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT: HV71, SweJE

Alisha DETAILS McLean | amclean@cbci.ca FOR MORE CONTACT:

Alisha McLean | amclean@cbci.ca LD 10/13/1998 6.00.5/187 Sport Vaasa Jr., FinJrA Coldwell BankerCBCWorldwide.com Commercial Integrity Real Estate 6.00/167

Rogle, SweJE

5.11/188 Spokane, WHL CBCWorldwide.com

9/12/1999

GOALIE

POS

BIRTH

HT.

TEAM

UKKO-PEKKA LUUKKONEN

3/9/1999

6.04.5/196

HPK Hameenlinna, FinE

IAN SCOTT

1/11/1999

6.03.25/174

Prince Albert, WHL

HockeyNow December 24, 2016

FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT:

©2016 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, dba Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Coldwell Banker Real Commercial Estate LLC, dba Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates. AllEqual Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate©2016 LLC, dba Coldwell Banker Affiliates fully supports the principles of the Opportunity Act. Each Real Estate LLC, dba Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates fully supports the principles of the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Coldwell Banker Commercial and the Coldwell Banker Commercial Logo are Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Coldwell Banker Commercial and the Coldwell Banker Commercial Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, dba Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates. registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, dba Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates.

CBCWorldwide.com Portland, WHL Alisha McLean | amclean@cbci.ca CBCWorldwide.com

JARET ANDERSON-DOLAN

HEIGHT 6.03.5

POSITION SHOT Right Defence R

Coldwell Banker Commercial Integrity Real Estate Direct Fax

289-291-5085

Main

905-338-8877

Direct Fax

289-291-5085 905-338-8879

Main Cell

905-338-8 905-630-4

Oakville, ON 905-338-8879 Cell 905-630-4424 CBCWorldwide.com Direct 289-291-5085 Main 905-338-8877

Real Estate LLC, dba Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates fully supports the pr Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Coldwell Banker Commercial and t registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, dba Coldwe

1155 North Service Rd. W - Ste ©2016 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, dba Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, dba Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates fully supports the principles of the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Oakville, ON Fax 905-338-8879 Cell 905-630-4424 Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Coldwell Banker Commercial and the Coldwell Banker Commercial Logo are

FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT:

registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, dba Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates.

©2016 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, dba Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, dba Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates fully supports the principles of the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Coldwell Banker Commercial and the Coldwell Banker Commercial Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, dba Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates.

Alisha McLean | amclean@cbci.ca Coldwell Banker Commercial Integrity Real Estate

CBCWorldwide.com

Direct Fax

289-29 905-33

December 24, 2016 HockeyNow

13 19 11

MINOR

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

PLAYER of the YEAR SEARCH RAMPS UP T

HE MINOR HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE YEAR RACE is especially top of mind at HockeyNow as we look ahead to watching former players of the year Mathew Barzal (2012 winner) and Dante Fabbro (2013 winner) wear the red and white at the World Junior Championships at the end of the month. Getting the chance to see the Player of the Year winners compete and get drafted is one of the many great perks for us and we can’t wait to hand out the awards once again at the end of the season. The award is given out annually to one player in each

PRELIMINARY LIST BC 2002S, DECEMBER 2016

PRELIMINARY LIST AB 2002S, DECEMBER 2016

PRELIMINARY LIST ON 2001S, DECEMBER 2016

BORYSIUK, JORDAN [C] Attacks with speed, likes to beat defenders 1 on 1 , has good size, makes smart decisions with and with out the puck.Very good on the cycle and uses size to protect the puck.

BENNING, MICHAEL [D] Shifty, offensively dangerous defender wasn't afraid to take the puck up the ice on his own. He consistently made crisp tape to tape passes and he got his wrist shot off very quickly.

AGUANNO, ANTHONY [D] Good, strong skater with speed and showed the ability to rush the puck. Walks line with the puck well and has a heavy point shot.

BOWEN, ETHAN [C] Strong skater with good speed. Was strong on the for check and supported well on the back check, Good offensive upside due to his vision and his skating. DE LA GORGENDIERE, AIDEN [D] Very strong defensive player that consistently makes smart plays. Controls gap well, effectively directs opposing players towards the boards and he isn't afraid to make a hit. Plays a simple game and has an excellent outlet pass. GENDRON, JACOB [D] Loves to take the puck end to end and control the game. Has a very good shot off the rush and from the point, can beat defenders to outside and through mid ice, uses his strong skating ability to get away from trouble. HELLIWELL, RYAN [D] Very good dman, uses size to advantage, strong on puck and strong on the boards. Passes hard and makes good decisions with and with out the puck, hard to play against and defends well. Impact player on the ice and very noticeable. HOOGENDOORN, KURT [D] Very smart defenseman who rarely gets caught out of position, and makes good plays with the puck. Nice skater and has deceptive speed. No shortage of upside, and should become a solid WHL defenseman with some work. MOUNT, PAYTON [C] Very skilled player and a strong two-way forward. Very good skater and has excellent vision. Should be a high pick in the WHL Draft and has the potential to be a strong player at that level. SHEPARD, COLE [LW] Quick, smart , fast and creates chances with speed, protects puck down low and takes puck to the net hard. Undersized but uses speed and quickness to elude defenders. SOURDIF, JUSTIN [C] Top prospect, Can do it all, skate, shoot, check, was dominating all weekend. Scored big goals in tournament and was a force. Total package and compete level is high. THURSTON, TREVOR [D] Has bite to his game, hard to play against, plays vs top line every shift. Produces on the PP due to his good shot and passing ability, makes good out let passes.

B.C., Alberta and Ontario who is at the top of their game and best exemplifies what it means to be a leader and strong citizen. Our selection committee, chaired by B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and Vancouver Canucks alumnus Dave Babych and International Scouting Services founder and head scout Dennis MacInnis, scouts top players in each province and provides us with monthly preliminary lists. Here are the lists for December. Some of these players could be HockeyNow’s 2017 Players of the Year – and could be sporting the red and white themselves someday soon.

HockeyNow December 24, 2016

CRNKOVIC, KYLE [C] Highly skilled smaller dynamic player, scored 2 goals in final game and was top forward in the tournament. Fast and quick with excellent hockey sense DANIELSON, NOAH [C] Potentially the best bantam player in the face off dot. His physicality and drive not to quit on a play is rare to see at this level. A coaches dream in my books. Work horse that puts the team first. DUBINSKY, COLE [C] Crafty little offensive player with slick passing skills and offensive instincts. A natural play-maker with excellent vision. Very high hockey IQ GUHLE, KAIDEN [D] Smooth skating and his ability to control the pace of the game. Guhle has the potential to be a 2-way defender in the WHL in the future. MCCLENNON, CONNOR [C] Top 3 prospect in BC.controls game, sets pace and tone, has excellent hockey sense and awareness on the ice, works hard and isn't afraid to mix it up. MCMASTER, ANSON [D] Skating has improved, especially acceleration. Solid player at both ends of the ice and has a frequent impact when he is on the ice. Has the skill set to be a good WHL defenseman. NEIGHBOURS, JAKE [LW] Lot of offensive upside. Strong kid that is very tough to take off the puck once he has possession, Uses his body well to protect the puck and win battles. Excellent vision and makes outstanding offensive decisions. PLASCHEWSKY, BRADEN [C] Was a threat every time he is on the ice. Great at reading the play. His hands allow him to make creative passes to his teammates and generate scoring chances. Can make high end plays at full speed. PROKOP, LUKE [D] Very solid, plays against top lines , shut down d man. Plays a big role on a good team and kills PK and plays PP. Solid prospect that contributes to the team success.

BURRIDGE, JEFF [RW] Has a tremendous shot, hard and accurate. Knows where he needs to be in the O-zone, is strong in the corners off the cycle. CLARKE, GRAEME [RW] He is a shooter; takes a high volume of shots. Protects the puck well in the offensive zone and is dangerous working off the cycle. COE, BRANDON [RW] One of the standout players at recent Whitby Silverstick tournament. Gave 110% every shift and plays complete 200 foot game. Great foot speed and mobility for his size while remaining strong. Has all the tools you look for in any player, potential top line OHL forward with pro projection. HUGHES, JACK [C] Great skater; very good edge work and top end speed. Hard snap shot that he can get away on the rush at full speed. Projects as a top line forward at the OHL/NCAA level. REES, JAMIESON [C] Center with average size. Very good skater with good speed and quickness. Quick hands. Can make plays with the puck at top speed. ROWE, LUCAS [C] Natural goal-scorer with tremendous shot. Can beat the opposing goalie from all over the ice thanks to a lethal shot and a quick release. Oozes skill and makes his line-mates better. Possesses underrated passing ability. SUZUKI, RYAN [C] Has elite vision and passing/playmaking abilities. Excellent puck control, always comes out of a scrum with the puck, seems to have it on a string. High hockey IQ, seems to be thinking 2 steps ahead of everyone else on the ice. TOMASINO, PHILIP [C] Very gifted player that has a lot upside to his game. Loves to have the puck on his stick and he does a great job of push the pace up ice. Has great speed and loves to drive the puck wide. VUKOJEVIC, MICHAEL [D] Simply one of the most complete players in his age group. Smooth skating defenseman with excellent edge work. Defensively uses his body and stick well to break up plays, able to battle physically with anyone. Skating is smooth and effortless, displays change of pace on rush. Tools to be a #1 OHL/NCAA dman with pro upside.

TEAM CANADA READY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD AJ MESSIER – HOCKEY CANADA IMAGES

(AND ERASE LAST YEAR’S FINISH FROM OUR MEMORIES)

PIERRE-LUC DUBOIS CAPE BRETON SCREAMING EAGLES

Will a return to home soil mean a return to the podium? That’s what fans (and online betters, apparently) are banking on this year. In 2015, teams split their time between the Air Canada Centre and Bell Centre and Sam Reinhart led the way to a spotless record and a gold medal for Canada. The stage is set for a similar performance, but as we all know, anything can happen after the puck drops on Boxing Day. And we may not have McDavid, Marner, Chychrun, Crouse, Konecny or Beauvillier, but we do have Strome, Barzal, Chabot, Dubois, Raddysh… The team is full of captains and scoring leaders who are ready to prove that last year was just a misstep in Canada’s rightful domination. Of course, all eyes will be on net again this year and the goaltending duo of Carter Hart and Connor Ingram. Both have been solid backstoppers this season and Hart, who is starting for Canada, is in a class of his own in the CHL. Pressure can quickly change all that, but if the first exhibition game is any indication, Hart’s 25 saves on the way to a 5-0 shutout over Finland might give those fans and gamblers something more than just hope and home ice to hold on to. There’s no question Canada has what it takes. Unfortunately so do a few of the other teams. So get ready for the 2017 IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Championships with our annual preview. Learn more about some of the top Canadian and international players coming into this year’s tournament, find out what we can expect in net from Canada goaltending coach Fred Brathwaite, see how we’ve fared in years past and then, come celebration or heartbreak, sit back and get ready for a great series.

MITCHELL STEPHENS SAGINAW SPIRIT December 24, 2016 HockeyNow

15 19 11

Panel Predictions

TEAM CANADA BY league this year

7 6 7 2

Dante Fabbro 2013 HockeyNow PLAYER OF THE YEAR BOSTON UNIVERSITY

last year

7 9 5 1

LARRY FEIST

MIKE BEASLEY

1 Canada

1 Russia

2 Sweden

3 Russia

3 USA

I’m mostly basing my gold medal pick on heart and biased thinking. Beyond Canada’s history of medals on home soil, they have five returnees, they aren’t a small team and they have skill and speed. Plus they’re coming back hungry.

It won’t take long to find out how good Russia this year. Canada and Russia square off on Boxing Day which could go a long way in determining the direction each country will take at the tournament.

I’d put Finland in the mix but since they’re missing their top three studs from last year – Jesse Puljujarvi, Sebastian Aho and Patrik Laine, the 2016 WJC overall top 3 scorers – I bet they take a step back.

Historically, Russian head coach Valeri Bragan never shows his hand when he brings a collection of players to the annual Canada-Russia Series. This time, Russia looked average once again, but don’t let that fool you. Canada’s arch-nemesis will be really good, featuring their real line-up of KHL, AHL and CHL players.

Russia is on a six-year medal run and based on their play versus the CHL teams, they seem to be strong so it’s likely they’ll be on the podium too. Even though they ultimately lost the CAN-RUS series, that historically doesn’t seem to play into World Junior results. Just look at last year – they only won one game in the series but ended up just shy of gold at the World Juniors. It’s a crap shoot, but I’ll go with this list.

The Swedes are loaded as well and will be hungry for a medal after being shut out the last two years. And Sweden can win on Canadian ice, just like they did in 2012. Team U.S.A. is also in the mix with their roster which consists primarily of NCAA players with a nice blend of CHL content at every position.

MIKE TOTH

RYAN MCCRACKEN

1 Canada

1 Russia

2 Sweden

2 Canada

3 Russia

3 USA

I admit it. I'm drinking the Canadian Kool-Aid. I’m banking on a gold medal repeat of the 2015 World Juniors, where just like this year, the tourney was split between Toronto and Montreal. With that said, the keys to victory are going to be a little different. There's no Connor McDavid, of course, so this year's Canadian contingent will have to rely on a true team effort. But that's not a bad thing. Rather than relying on superstars such as McDavid, the Canadian coaching staff is raving about the depth on this year's squad. Veteran performers such as Matthew Barzal, Mitchell Stephens and Dylan Strome all have the ability to share the load when it comes to putting the puck in opposition nets. In addition, they also have huge fires burning in their bellies after the embarrassment of a shocking sixth place Canadian finish at last year's tournament.

With no squad clearly standing out above the rest, this is an especially difficult year to call. Canada has proven time and again that firepower leads to domination in the fast-paced format of the IIHF World Junior Championship, so given this year’s decision to sacrifice scoring for structure, it’s hard to see the hometown team making a swift return to the top of the podium. That said, goaltender Carter Hart is more than capable of stealing a few games for the red and white in front of a home crowd. With a good deal of returning players, Russia should be the team to beat at this year’s event after settling for silver in each of the past two tournaments, though Sweden and the United States will likely prove themselves as contenders exiting the group stage. Finland, no longer sporting home ice advantage, will have their hands full as the defending champions.

IAIN COLPITTS AJ MESSIER – HOCKEY CANADA IMAGES

1 USA 2 Canada

3 Sweden

Led by dynamic forwards Clayton Keller, Jeremy Bracco and Alex DeBrincat, speed will be the biggest weapon for the Americans, but there’s great depth on the back end and strong goaltending at their disposal as Tyler Parsons, Joseph Woll and Jake Oettinger battle for the starting role. The Canadians will definitely do better than last year’s sixth-place finish with a more experienced roster. Dylan Strome and Matt Barzal will provide strong leadership and while there’s plenty of depth to go around, goaltending usually seems to be a concern for Canada in big moments and we’ll see if that’s the case with Carter Hart and Connor Ingram. For Team Sweden, look for Alex Nylander to shine once again and challenge for the tournament lead in scoring. Also, while they’re missing the star power they had during last year’s gold medal run, the Finns are always tough and will be near the top once again.

2016

FIN

RUS

USA

Helsinki, Finland

2015

CAN

RUS

SVK

Toronto/Montreal, ON/QC, CAN

2014

FIN

SWE

RUS

Malmö, Sweden

2013

USA

SWE

RUS

Ufa, RUS

2012

SWE

RUS

CAN

Calgary/Edmonton, AB, CAN

2011

RUS

CAN

USA

Buffalo/Lewiston, NY, USA

2010

USA

CAN

SWE

Saskatoon/Regina, SK, CAN

2009

CAN

SWE

RUS

Ottawa, ON, CAN

2008

CAN

SWE

RUS

Pardubice/Liberec, CZE

2007

CAN

RUS

USA

Leksand/Mora, SWE

2006

CAN

RUS

FIN

Vancouver/Kamloops/Kelowna, BC, CAN

2005

CAN

RUS

CZE

Grand Forks/Thief River Falls, ND/MS, USA

2004

USA

CAN

FIN

Helsinki/Hameenlinna, FIN

2003

RUS

CAN

FIN

Halifax/Sydney, NS, CAN

2002

RUS

CAN

FIN

Pardubice/Hradec Kralove, CZE

2001

CZE

FIN

CAN

Moscow/Podolsk, RUS

2000

CZE

RUS

CAN

Skelleftea/Umea, SWE

1999

RUS

CAN

SVK

Winnipeg/Brandon, MB, CAN

1998

FIN

RUS

SUI

Helsinki/Hameenlinna, FIN

1997

CAN

USA

RUS

Geneva/Morges, SUI

1996

CAN

SWE

RUS

Boston, MA, USA

1995

CAN

RUS

SWE

Red Deer, AB, CAN

1994

CAN

SWE

RUS

Ostrava/Frydek-Mistek, CZE

1993

CAN

SWE

CZE/SVK

Gavle, SWE

1992

CIS

SWE

USA

Fussen/Kaufbeuren, GER

1991

CAN

URS

TCH

Saskatoon, SK, CAN

1990

CAN

URS

TCH

Helsinki/Turku, FIN

1989

URS

SWE

TCH

Anchorage, AK, USA

1988

CAN

URS

FIN

Moscow, RUS

1987

FIN

TCH

SWE

Piestany, TCH

1986

URS

CAN

USA

Hamilton, ON, CAN

1985

CAN

TCH

URS

Helsinki/Turku, FIN

1984

URS

FIN

TCH

Norrkoping/Nykoping, SWE

1983

URS

TCH

CAN

Leningrad, USSR

1982

CAN

TCH

FIN

Minnesota, USA

1981

SWE

FIN

URS

Fussen, FRG

1980

URS

FIN

SWE

Helsinki, FIN

1979

URS

TCH

SWE

Karlstad/Karlskoga, SWE

1978

URS

SWE

CAN

Montreal, QC, CAN

1977

URS

CAN

TCH

Banska Bystrica/Zvolen, CSSR

1976*

URS

CAN

TCH

Tampere, FIN

1975*

URS

CAN

SWE

MB, CAN & ND/MN, USA

1974*

URS

FIN

CAN

Leningrad, USSR

*Prior to the 1977 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, the World Junior event was a tournament and not a World Championship

RETURNING PLAYERS

MATTHEW BARZAL | JULIEN GAUTHIER | DYLAN STROME | MITCHELL STEPHENS | THOMAS CHABOT

2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010

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RETURNING RETURNING RETURNING RETURNING RETURNING RETURNING RETURNING

PLAYERS PLAYERS PLAYERS PLAYERS PLAYERS PLAYERS PLAYERS

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FINISHED 6TH WON GOLD FINISHED 4TH FINISHED 4TH WON BRONZE WON SILVER WON SILVER

TEAM CANADA BY PROVINCE YUKON NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

BRITISH COLUMBIA

NUNAVUT NEW FOU ND LA ND AN D

ALBERTA W AN

LOCATION

LA BR AD OR

MANITOBA

QUEBEC

AT C

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

YEAR

AJ MESSIER – HOCKEY CANADA IMAGES

Medal history

ONTARIO NEW BRUNSWICK

NOVA SCOTIA

TEAM CANADA: 10 PLAYERS TO WATCH BY Iain Colpitts/Mike Beasley/Ryan McCraken

From Strome to Dubois, this year’s Canadian entry is chock-full of top NHL draft picks who have been delivering all season long. Here’s a look at 10 of the players we can expect to be counted on this year.

DANTE FABBRO [ ]

D BOSTON UNIVERSITY TERRIERS, NCAA

Height: 6’1” Weight: 192 lbs. Drafted: 2016 round 1 #17 overall by Nashville Predators It’s a slow burn with Dante Fabbro. The 2013 HockeyNow Player of the Year doesn’t immediately turn heads but his consistency always gets him noticed in the end. This year, the defenceman’s size is catching up with his hockey sense and he’s well on his way to becoming the complete package. The former Penticton Vee knows his way around international events and suited up for the World Junior Championship Under-18 team last year, where he racked up over a point per game, and a bronze medal. He also took home the gold as assistant captain on the 2015 World Junior A Challenge Canada West team. The Burnaby Winter Club graduate is sitting in the top three in points for defencemen on the Boston University Terriers, who are poised to break through the Frozen Four this year.

DYLAN STROME [ ]

F ERIE OTTERS, OHL

Height: 6’3” Weight: 198 lbs. Drafted: 2015 round 1 #3 overall by Arizona Coyotes After a short stint in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes, Dylan Strome is back with the Erie Otters and enters the World Juniors as one of Team Canada’s key players. He went on record as saying he felt he was done with junior during Hockey Canada’s summer development camp, but because he was used sparingly in Arizona, suiting up in only seven out of 17 games, it seemed like the writing was on the wall that he was heading back to junior. It’s a good thing too because all he’s done since his return is put up 15 points (four goals and 11 assists) in his first six games back. Strome is one of five returning players on Team Canada and excelled in last year’s event, finishing in a tie with Mitch Marner for the team lead in scoring with six points (four goals and two assists) in five games as Canada finished a disappointing sixth place. That performance must still be lingering and fans should look for Strome to be a difference maker once again with his elite playmaking and ability to create space for his linemates. He also has a quick release on his shot, which often gets overlooked given his reputation as a playmaker.

One of Team Canada’s pair of college representatives, the other being Tyson Jost, Fabbro was considered on the bubble going into training camp, but he has the potential to be a key player for Canada if he can tap into the hockey IQ that’s got him this far.

THOMAS CHABOT [ ]

Expect big things from the Nashville Predators’ 2016 first round pick, especially now that he has a few NCAA Division 1 games under his belt.

On the blue line, Canada will be led by Thomas Chabot, the only returning rearguard from the 2016 team. The 2015 Ottawa Senators first rounder will be looked upon to provide leadership, guidance and stability to Canada’s defensive corps.

Taylor Raddysh [

F] ERIE OTTERS, OHL

Height: 6’2” Weight: 209 lbs. Drafted: 2016 round 2 #58 overall by Tampa Bay Lightning Any discussion on some of the top players in the tournament has to include the OHL’s leading scorer. Taylor Raddysh, a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, has been lights out this season with an absurd 58 points (23 goals and 35 assists) over 27 games. Most of those points have come without teammate Strome since he wasn’t sent back to the Otters until late November. Raddysh was overlooked by Hockey Canada when it came to choosing the summer development camp roster and hasn’t played for Canada since the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, but he jumped out to a great start with Erie that has been impossible to ignore. He was also impressive in a CIBC Canada-Russia Series game, scoring two goals and an assist to lead Team OHL to victory in Hamilton on Nov. 14.

AJ MESSIER – HOCKEY CANADA IMAGES

At the World Juniors, Raddysh can also be counted on as a power forward with his 6-foot2, 209-pound frame. That will also make him hard to knock off the puck.

Raddysh has excelled in the OHL ever since his 21-goal rookie season. Expect that trend to continue as he suits up for the red and white.

D SAINT JOHN SEA DOGS, QMJHL

Height: 6’2” Weight: 190 lbs. Drafted: 2015 round 1 #18 overall by Ottawa Senators

Earlier this season, the defender attended the Senators training camp and played in the preseason. He was kept on the Senators roster when camp broke and made his NHL debut on Oct. 18 versus the Arizona Coyotes. The native of Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, Que., Chabot played at the 2015 IIHF World U18 Championships, where he won a bronze medal with Team Canada and picked up three assists in five games. Chabot’s strengths are his skating and puck moving ability. He is able to play in any situation and will be a calming influence on Canada’s inexperienced blue line that will enter the tournament with six new faces. The 19-year-old scored one goal and owned a +3 rating in two games for Team QMJHL at the CIBC Canada-Russia Series in November. In 14 regular season games with the Sea Dogs, Chabot registered 5-15-20 points and a +8 rating.

Mathew Barzal [ ]

F SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS, WHL

Height: 6’0” Weight: 183 lbs. Drafted: 2015 round 1 #16 overall by New York Islanders 2012 HockeyNow Player of the Year Mathew Barzal will have his second shot at World Junior Championship glory as one of five players returning to Team Canada this year, and the only returning member of the WHL. The 2015 first round draft pick made his NHL debut with the New York Islanders on Oct. 15 in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals, but was returned to the Seattle Thunderbirds after a two-game stint. The centre finished with a minus-two rating and six penalty minutes over 19:30 of big-league ice time, the standout playmaker exploded into his return to WHL action in November. In the 13 games since his Dub debut, Barzal boasts 17 assists and a pair of goals, almost matching his pace of 1.5 points per game last year. Barzal picked up two goals and an assist with Team Canada in his world junior debut last December, but he should have a bigger role on the team this year given his growing hockey résumé. On top of the aforementioned accolades, Barzal was a key figure in bringing the Seattle Thunderbirds to the WHL finals against the Brandon Wheat Kings last season, logging 88 points in 58 regular season games and adding 26 in 18 playoff games.

F VAL-D’OR FOREURS, QMJHL

Height: 6’4” Weight: 225 lbs. Drafted: 2016 round 1 #21 overall by Carolina Hurricanes Julien Gauthier is a big body and natural goal scorer who protects the puck well and has a quick release. His size and strength along the boards and in front of the opposition’s net should be of great value to Canada on the smaller North American ice surfaces in Toronto and Montreal. The Pointe-aux-Trembles, Que. native scored 41 goals last season in Val-d’Or but has had a hard time finding the back of the net this season with just seven goals so far, in 23 games. However, he has accumulated 20 assists to make him a more than a point-per-game player. Gauthier entered last year’s World Juniors as a 2016 draft eligible player because of his October birthdate. He ended up with two assists in five games in Finland. The Carolina Hurricanes liked what they saw and selected Gauthier in the first round. Last July, the Hurricanes signed their X-Large right winger to a three-year, entry-level contract. During the recent CIBC Canada-Russia Series, Gauthier showed what he could do against international competition when he picked up 2-1-3 points in the two games.

Pierre-Luc Dubois [ ]

F CAPE BRETON SCREAMING EAGLES, QMJHL

Height: 6’2” Weight: 201 lbs. Drafted: 2016 round 1 #3 overall by Columbus Blue Jackets Pierre-Luc Dubois cracked the lineup this December after getting the dreaded early morning wake-up call, last year. The first round, third overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets for his strong overall play, outstanding work ethic and above average offensive skills. He can be described as a multidimensional player possessing the ability to influence a game in a number of ways. Dubois started turning heads last year when he made the move from left wing to the centre position. He sees the ice well and likes to dish the puck off to his linemates which suits him better playing in the middle. At 6’2 and slightly over 200 pounds, Dubois won’t be pushed around when he battles for pucks in the corner or decides to set up an office in front of the opponent’s net. Dubois had 42 goals and 99 points last season in Cape Breton.

JAKE BEAN [ ]

D CALGARY HITMEN, WHL

Height: 6’1” Weight: 172 lbs. Drafted: 2016 round 1 #13 overall by Carolina Hurricanes Calgary’s go-to defenceman had a bumpy start to the WHL season, but he’s truly come into his own over the past few weeks.

AJ MESSIER – HOCKEY CANADA IMAGES

JULIEN GAUTHIER [ ]

While Bean has only dressed for eight WHL games this season, he recorded points in all but one — a game he was forced out of early after having his finger broken by an errant slash from Medicine Hat Tigers forward Chad Butcher. While the injury held Bean off the ice for 16 games, it seems to have no residual impact on the hometown Calgary product. In his five games since returning from the injury, Bean recorded eight points while helping his team to a healthy 4-1-0-0 start to December and entering selection camp on a five-game point streak. After posting 64 points and a plus-eight rating in 68 games with the Hitmen last season, Bean placed firmly in the draft conversation and became the WHL’s highest draft pick of 2016 when the Carolina Hurricanes called out his name 13th overall in June. While his WHL presence has been limited, Bean has been the brightest spot on Calgary’s struggling squad. In fact, their record with Bean in the lineup is considerably better than when he’s missing, as Bean has gone 5-3-0-0 with the Hitmen this season and they’ve gone 7-12-2-0 without him.

Noah Juulsen [ ]

D EVERETT SILVERTIPS, WHL

Height: 6’3” Weight: 190 lbs. Drafted: 2015 round 1 #26 overall by Montreal Canadiens Noah Juulsen, the captain of Team WHL at the CHL Canada-Russia Series, will be looking to cement his place in Canadian junior hockey history this holiday season as a dynamic defensive presence on the back end.

Dubois had the luxury of attending Canada’s National Junior Selection Camp in Blainville, Que., which is about a 45 minute drive from his hometown. After the World Juniors are completed, there are rumours circulating that Dubois will return to Blainville-Boisbriand to play for the Armada via a trade.

The 19-year-old Abbotsford, B.C. native has a work ethic that is second to none. Consistently relied on to chew big minutes off the clock and square off against some of the WHL’s most capable offensive scorers, Juulsen earned the title of Everett’s most dedicated player for both the 2014-15 and the 2015-16 seasons.

MICHAEL MCLEOD [ ]

F MISSISSAUGA STEELHEADS, OHL

Height: 6’2” Weight: 194 lbs. Drafted: 2016 round 1 #12 overall by New Jersey Devils Michael McLeod may be on the younger side of the roster as an 18-year-old, but the Mississauga Steelheads captain and New Jersey Devils prospect brings a lot of international experience. His time spent playing for Team Canada at the 2014 World Under-17 Challenge, 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and 2016 World Under-18s should help him make the transition to the World Juniors, which is a whole different animal considering all of the mostly 19-year-old NHL calibre talent on display. If Canada wants to play a fast-paced style, McLeod is perfectly suited for it. He’s arguably the fastest skater and hardest worker in the OHL and he’ll play with reckless abandon in some cases while showing a smooth playmaking touch in others. Mississauga has had a rough start to the year and recently snapped a nine-game losing streak, but McLeod has still been their most dependable forward, even in games where he’s not finding his way onto the score sheet. His speed allows him to set the pace and he’s relied upon heavily in the face off circle. Even if Canada ends up being deep at centre and McLeod is slotted in on the wing, his all-around dependable game will be an asset.

Juulsen spent his offseason recovering from a broken jaw, which he suffered after taking a puck to the face during the Western Conference semifinal against the Everett Silvertips. But the blueliner hasn’t missed a beat since the puck dropped on the WHL this season. While Juulsen’s primary role isn’t to put up points, he has been surging on Everett’s back end, racking up 20 points in his first 25 games. The first-round Montreal Canadiens draft pick has been a key figure in the Everett franchise over the past few seasons, helping instil leadership and poise in one of the WHL’s strongest defensive corps. While Juulsen missed the cut at the 2016 selection camp, his plus-13 rating coupled with a strong offensive output helped him break through this year’s roster.

AJ MESSIER – HOCKEY CANADA IMAGES

Team Canada will be relying on Dubois to bring that same game in front of an international audience as Canada looks to rebound from last year’s dismal performance.

SIZING UP THE COMPETITION BY Iain Colpitts

WORLD’S ELITE AIM TO SPOIL CANADA’S HOPES OF GOLD

Sweden

Gold for Team Canada is far from certain. Like last year, there doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut favourite to win the World Juniors as the usual suspects – USA, Russia, Sweden and Finland – all boast deep lineups with returning veterans who have grown stronger since last

Latvia

[4th in 2016] Alex Nylander will be back after stealing the show at last year’s tournament, leading the Swedes in scoring as a 17-year-old. Since then, he was drafted eighth overall by the Buffalo Sabres and earned a spot in the AHL with the Rochester Americans. Adrian Kempe and Dmytro Timashov are among the graduating players, but Sabres prospect Rasmus Asplund will be back to provide the Swedes with more firepower. Jacob Larsson is also returning to lead Sweden on the defensive end and Felix Sandstrom appears to be favoured as the number one goalie to start since he’s returning too.

Alex Nylander AARON BELL/OHL IMAGES

Switzerland

year’s tourney. Included in that list are top-tier NHL prospects who are on the brink of making the jump to the big league as well as some of the top prospects eligible for this year’s draft. Here’s how the competition shapes up.

[9th in 2016]

All eyes will be on Nico Hischier, the flashy young prospect who could be a top-10 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. The Halifax Mooseheads have a tendency of developing imports from outside the top European nations and Hischier is the latest example of that as the 17-year-old sits second in QMJHL scoring as a rookie. Aside from that, it could be another tough tournament for the Swiss, who will be missing Denis Malgin and Timo Meier among other stars from last year’s team. Detroit Red Wings prospect Joren van Pottelberghe will be back between the pipes and brings valuable experience as someone who played in all six games last year.

[Replaced Belarus]

Last year’s Division I champions will be challenged against the world’s elite, but they perhaps they can make things difficult and at the very least wear opponents down. That’s where Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Martins Dzierkals and San Jose Sharks draftee Rudolfs Balcers will come in handy. Dzierkals gained experience last year as part of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies’ run to the QMJHL championship and Memorial Cup final while Balcers is averaging more than a point per game this year with the Kamloops Blazers.

Russia

[2nd in 2016]

The Russians enter this year’s tournament with six straight medals (one gold, three silver, two bronze), the longest active streak of any team involved. Staying in the top three will be a challenge since a lot of last year’s players have moved on. Yegor Korshkov and Vladislav Kamenev have both graduated while Ivan Provorov is having a great rookie season with the Philadelphia Flyers. Russia can still benefit from great goaltending by Ilya Samsonov, a first round pick of the Washington Capitals who played in two games last year and is having another strong season with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL. Denis Guryanov and Kirill Kaprizov will give them some offensive punch and defencemen including Canadiens prospect Mikhail Sergachev will make sure Samsonov doesn’t have to work too hard.

Mikhail Sergachev AARON BELL/OHL IMAGES

United States

[3rd in 2016]

It looks likes the Americans have strength in numbers. Arizona Coyotes prospect Clayton Keller leads a group of dynamic forwards that also includes OHL top five scorers Alex DeBrincat and Jeremy Bracco. If the U.S. needs size and strength up front, they can rely on players like Tage Thompson and Logan Brown to fill that capacity. Led by Charlie McAvoy, the defensive core remains deep, which will help offset the loss of Zach Werenski and Brandon Carlo. Goaltending will be a strength once again with Calgary Flames prospect Tyler Parsons in the mix after displaying his poise with the London Knights, backstopping them to last year’s Memorial Cup.

Alex DeBrincat TERRY WILSON / OHL IMAGES

Finland

[1st in 2016]

The defending gold medalists will be hard pressed to finish on top of the podium again without their lethal trio of Patrik Laine, Jesse Puljujarvi and Sebastian Aho, who ran wild at last year’s tournament. However, there’s still star power to go around, starting off with one of the top 2017 draft prospects, Eeli Tolvanen. The Boston College commit is in his second season with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers and sits fourth in league scoring. The Finns also stack up well defensively with talented blueliners Olli Juolevi and Vili Saarijarvi returning along with goalie Veini Vehvilainen.

Olli Juolevi

Slovakia

[7th in 2016]

It’s not every day you see a player go through for World Junior Championships, but rugged defenceman Erik Cernak will enjoy that opportunity. Summoned by the Slovak Under-20 every year since 2013, the 6-foot-3 Los Angeles Kings prospect was part of the bronze medal squad in 2015. New York Rangers prospect Adam Huska will need to be at his best in goal if the Slovaks hope to pull off a similar upset while Chicago Blackhawks prospect Radovan Bondra and 2017 draft eligible Adam Ruzicka and Samuel Bucek will be counted on offensively.

Adam Ruzicka AARON BELL/OHL IMAGES

Czech Republic

[5th in 2016]

The Czechs boast a roster with several NHL prospects who have honed their craft in North America. The question is whether or not they’ll be able to gel well enough to pull off an upset by advancing to the semifinals or beyond. One of their most notable players is dynamic Ottawa Senators prospect Filip Chlapik, who’s among the QMJHL’s top 10 scorers in the midst of his third season with the Charlottetown Islanders. Jakub Zboril, Libor Hajek and Filip Hronek headline a strong defence while Daniel Vladar will likely get the nod in goal after taking a back seat in the last two tournaments.

Denmark

[8th in 2016]

The Danes made some noise in last year’s event, starting off with a 2-1 win over Switzerland before nearly upsetting the eventual silver medalist Russians in a 4-3 overtime loss in the quarterfinals. Once again, the goal will be to avoid relegation and if they’re in the top eight, that will be a plus. While there’s not much depth to speak of, the Danes can still benefit from experienced players like Chicago Blackhawks prospect Mathias From as well as Alex True and Christian Mieritz, both of whom are set to play in the World Juniors for the third and final time.

TERRY WILSON / OHL IMAGES

HISTORY IN THE MAKING BY Ryan McCracken

HERE WERE YOU WHEN JORDAN EBERLE SCORED? It seems everyone has a story from that moment. The moment when John Tavares pulled a puck off the boards and threw it on net to set up Eberle’s buzzer-beating backbreaker against Russia in the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship semifinal. It was the kind of comeback that dreams are made of. Eberle went on to rack up a total of six goals and seven assists, including the shootout winner against Russia in that historic 2009 semifinal to cap of Canada’s fifth straight gold medal at the tournament. He did it again the next year too, matching his points total with eight goals and five assists and even scoring a late equalizer in the gold medal game against the United States before ultimately settling for silver, but he will always be considered one of, if not the most impactful player to ever compete on Team Canada at the World Junior Championship. The 2010 World Junior Championship MVP and former Regina Pat left a lasting impact on the appeal this tournament provides, and keeps fans of the red and white longing for another unforgettable moment around the television. Eberle had a knack for coming through in the clutch, but when it comes to overall dominance, look no further than the days of Eric Lindros. The Oshawa Generals star and eventual first overall NHL draft pick had the benefit of playing across three separate tournaments from 1990 to 1992, claiming a pair of gold medals in the process. Over the course of his junior championship run, Lindros racked up a staggering 31 points, which still stands as the most ever scored by a Canadian at the event, though he is among a select few to play at three tournaments. At the time, Lindros’ 1991 single tournament total of 17 points was second only to Dale McCourt’s 18 — a record that’s been standing since 1977 — and shared by none other than Wayne Gretzky. Twenty years later, a Saskatoon Blades forward named Brayden

Schenn came along and took the tournament by storm, matching McCourt’s longstanding record with eight goals and 10 assists, though it wasn’t enough to push Canada to gold after an exhausting championship loss to Russia. Some players prove their value though other methods, like protecting the blue line. After all, Eberle’s magic moment would not have been possible if not for the stout defence of Ryan Ellis. With those final seconds ticking off the clock, Ellis was the one doing wind sprints along the blue line to keep the puck inside enemy territory, and with 15 seconds left he managed to pinch a play along the boards and get the puck to Tavares, and the rest is history. Despite being 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, Ellis proved himself as one of the greatest defencemen to ever compete at the tournament. His protection of the blue line was second to none — he even hacky-sacked a puck with an unforgettable back-heel to hold the zone in a 2009 game against Germany. But Ellis was no stranger to the scoreboard either. The former Windsor Spitfire totalled 25 points in his three trips to the international stage, consistently improving on his point production each year and collecting a gold, two silvers and the title 2011’s best defenceman in the process. Ellis proved that making an impact doesn’t always mean putting the puck in the net, sometimes it happens 200 feet away. Sometimes, it’s a wall named Carey Price. While Price only took in one trip to the World Junior Championship, the former Tri-City Americans netminder stole the show in 2007 with a near-flawless march to gold. Price allowed just seven goals in six straight victories while locking up the best single-tournament save percentage in history at .961. He also became the first goaltender to ever earn the title of MVP at the event. His crowning achievement came in the semifinal border battle with the United States, where Price stood on his head and turned aside 34 chances through 70 minutes before locking down the victory in an unforgettable shootout that featured three goals from Jonathan Toews. All of these players have gone on to make a name for themselves on the NHL stage, and it all started with the World Junior Championship. Christmas starts Boxing Day. COURTESY WHL

EBERLE, LINDROS, PRICE. WE LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL CHL PLAYERS TO TAKE THE WORLD JUNIOR STAGE

Who could forget Jordan Eberle’s (top) shootout goal to seal Canada’s win over Russia in the 2009 WJC semifinals, or Carey Price’s (left) record-breaking championship run in 2007 that earned him MVP honours?

HART OF A CHAMPION C

ARTER HART IS ABOUT TO BECOME A HOUSEHOLD NAME FROM the Pacific all the way to the Atlantic. After starting his season with at the top of the league for save percentage, goals against average and shutouts, the 18-year-old Everett Silvertips goaltender is primed and ready to backstop Team Canada’s bounce-back effort at the World Junior Championship this holiday season, and Tips head coach Kevin Constantine says it’s likely to bring an even stronger game out of the CHL’s reigning goaltender of the year. “Every extra curricular, being an NHL rookie camp or a tryout camp, or an all-star performance, the Canada-Russia Series or a World Junior Championship, those events are all challenges that without a doubt are beneficial from an improvement standpoint,” said Constantine. “The quickest way to improve athletically is to be challenged. Challenged by competition, challenged by coaches, challenged by yourself, and certainly the competition at this particular event is at a real high level and it makes you improve your game. There’s always a benefit from being able to take part in these.” The Sherwood Park, Alta. product has yet to dip below a .900 save percentage since joining the league full-time as a 16-year-old in the 2014-15 season, and he’s still managed to better his numbers on a consistent basis. As a rookie, Hart posted a .915 save percentage and a 2.29 goals against average — both of which were WHL bests — while sharing time between the posts with Austin Lotz. When Hart inherited the starting position the following year, he firmly placed himself on the radar as one of junior hockey’s greatest goaltenders. Hart doubled his production, logging a 35-23-1-3 record while increasing his save percentage to .918 and cutting his goals against average down to 2.14 to earn dual titles as the WHL and CHL goaltender of the year. Now he’s off to his hottest season yet, cutting his goals against average significantly to 1.85 while pushing his save percentage to .928 through his first 24 contests. Constantine, who is behind the Silvertip bench for his eighth consecutive season, says it has truly been a pleasure watching Hart develop, not just into the form of a promising NHL prospect, but a reputable young man as well. “He’s a great kid and a good goalie so it’s fun. It’s part watching him grow as a goaltender, part watching him grow as a person, as you would with any player you deal with in

junior hockey,” he said. “You’re dealing with kids who start with you as 15-year-old boys and leave you as 20-year-old young men. There’s a process of watching all of that, from the goaltending to their growth as a person.” Hart has cemented himself as a leader in Silvertips system over his tenure. While Hart isn’t the most vocal man in Everett’s dressing room, Constantine says his actions speak far louder than any words could, even if they can be somewhat quirky at times. “He’s a goalie and like all goalies — and I’m an ex-goalie so I speak from the fraternity — it’s kind of an individual sport within a team game. So Carter’s got a lot of his own routine and regimen that he goes through that work for him,” said Constantine. “Most of the time that’s with the team or around the team, but then he’s just got some things he does that are unique to goaltenders too, so there are moments when he’s off in his own goalie world.” Every good goalie — no matter how quirky — needs a strong mentor, and Hart has that man in Shane Clifford. The longstanding Silvertips goaltending coach has been with Hart since day one of his WHL career, and with the team for nine seasons. Constantine credits a good deal of Hart’s development to the guiding hand of Clifford, who is responsible for grooming a seemingly endless string of strong goaltenders from Everett’s long list of names, like John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks. In fact, most of Clifford’s protégés end up earning NHL draft selections or contracts. Hart — a second-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers — is no exception. “You look back at the Silvertips and I don’t think it’s an accident that we’ve had some good goalies, being Mike Wall, Leland Irving, on and on,” said Constantine. “Shane certainly gets credit for a lot of what’s happened in Silvertip goaltending history and he’s made his contributions with Carter also.” While the U.S. Division-leading Silvertips will face a stiff challenge with Hart’s departure to compete in the World Junior Championship — as well as that of captain and leading defenceman Noah Juulsen — Constantine says he believes the benefits of the experience far outweigh the consequences of their absence. “We’ll suffer a little bit in the short term but we’ll benefit in the longterm from the experiences those guys will get and from the improvement based on being challenged in their game,” he said, adding Hart has become one of Everett’s most valuable assets. “I can tell you this, our team knows, respects and is thankful about the fact that he’s such a big part of our team. There’s respect there, without a doubt.” AJ MESSIER – HOCKEY CANADA IMAGES

AFTER BREAKING RECORDS AND TOPPING CHARTS IN THE WHL AND CHL, CARTER HART IS READY TO SHOW THE WORLD WHAT HE CAN DO

BY Ryan McCracken

Carter Hart was named both the WHL and CHL Goaltender of the Year last season after finishing with a save percentage of .918 and goals against average of 2.14 – and he's already surpassing those number after his first 24 games this year.

LEADING THE CHARGE W

AJ MESSIER – HOCKEY CANADA IMAGES

E ALL KNOW THAT FAMOUS INSURANCE ADVERTISEMENT: "You're in good hands with Allstate." Well, it turns out young Canadian hockey goalies are in good hands with Brathwaite. 44-year-old Ottawa native son Fred Brathwaite is Team Canada's goaltending coach for the upcoming World Junior tournament, which is being cohosted by Toronto and Montreal. Brathwaite has an impressive résumé – tailor made for mentoring Canada's junior goaltenders. A Memorial Cup champion with the 1990 Oshawa Generals, Brathwaite went on to play 254 games in the National Hockey League. He also has extensive international goaltending experience, having played professionally in Russia and Germany. In addition, Brathwaite suited up for Canada's national team during the 1999 season and represented his country at the 2000 and 2001 World Hockey Championships. Now, Brathwaite is lending his expertise to the two young netminders getting set to tend the twine for Canada at the World Juniors. Eighteen-yearold Carter Hart of Sherwood Park, Alberta is a draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers (48th overall), while 19-year old Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Connor Ingram hails from Imperial, Saskatchewan and was selected 88th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Both young goalies play in the Western Hockey League and will be all ears as Brathwaite shares his vast body of knowledge. Brathwaite, meanwhile, recently sat down with HockeyNow to share some of his thoughts on the World Juniors, his two puckstopping pupils, and the general state of goaltending in Canada.

Team Canada goaltending coach Fred Brathwaite has had a long relationship with the World Junior Championship, staring in 1999 when he first represented the country between the pipes.

HOCKEYNOW: I'm sure that one aspect of the pride you feel representing your country is the chance to show that our coaching methods in Canada are effective. For instance, you always hear about the great strides European goalies are making on the world stage. There seems to be a school of thought that Canadian goalies are falling behind. Does that perception irritate you? FRED BRATHWAITE: You know what? It really does bother me. As a country, we're making a lot of great strides. For instance, if you look back at last summer's NHL draft, 12 Canadian goalies got picked and that was by far the highest total of any country. With that said, I still think we have to continue to make improvements at the grassroots level. We have to make sure that we're getting our kids the proper goalie training so that when they move up to the junior level they have solid fundamentals. The Europeans are definitely doing a good job developing netminders. But I think we're doing just as good of a job and our country has a number of very strong goaltenders. After all, the best goalie in the world right now (Carey Price) happens to be a Canadian.

TEAM CANADA GOALTENDING COACH FRED BRATHWAITE TELLS HOCKEYNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO BETWEEN THE PIPES BY Mike Toth

HN: When you played, your smaller size (5'7") made it necessary for you to be a more athletic goaltender. Most of today's goalies are much bigger athletes, so what's your process when it comes to instructing bigger goaltenders? FB: I played in a different era where a number of goalies were smaller guys. I grew up idolizing Darren Pang, another goalie from the Ottawa area who was only 5'5". Mike Vernon and Grant Fuhr were two other guys I watched who weren't very big. Now, there are a lot of bigger guys and a lot of teams are looking for large bodies. I'm constantly attending goalie clinics and keeping up to date with what they're teaching. I try to provide an effective balance between the new techniques of bigger goalies and combining that with some of the athleticism that I used to make sure our goalies can be as effective as possible. HN: Physical skills are obviously important to a goalie, but I would think the mental game is just as crucial. What kind of mental training are you passing on to the goalies at the World Junior level? FB: Fortunately, we have two goalies on our team this year (Carter Hart and Connor Ingram) who are both very strong when it comes to the mental aspect of the position. Goaltenders need short memories and have the ability to bounce back if things don't go their way and be able to handle the pressure that comes with playing the position. Unfortunately, the media plays a big part in putting pressure on our goalies. We can't let the outside noise impact us. Yes, we're playing this year's tournament in Canada and people might say that comes with a lot more pressure. But the positive side is that we have home ice advantage and we'll try to treat each game like a typical home game and go from there. HN: What’s the optimal condition that you're aiming for when it comes to the physical and mental makeup of your goalies? FB: Every goaltender plays the position using their own specific style. There's only one Carey Price. But there are some general characteristics that you shoot for. Confidence is important and consistency is another big thing. Every goalie will have bad games but if you have the ability to bounce back, that's a huge key. I also like to see how a goalie interacts with his teammates and how they deal with him. If they come back to a goalie after he gives up a bad goal and tap him on the pads, that's a good sign that they have a lot of confidence in him because they know he's going to bear down and make sure it doesn't happen again. HN: Can you give us a scouting report on the two Canadian goalies who'll be carrying the World Junior colours this year? FB: Carter Hart has played a ton of hockey over the past two years with the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League. He's so consistent in his approach. He can get 20 shots in a game or he can face 45 pucks and he has the same demeanour. He's always in a good position and stays very calm in the net. He reads the game very well and plays with a lot of intelligence. Connor Ingram comes from a small town in Saskatchewan. He was a late draft pick of the WHL Kamloops Blazers and he came to the team and basically stole a job. He's been the backbone of the Blazers for the last two years. Connor is a guy who might have a rough night but then the next game you know he's going to come back and be very solid. As a team, we're very comfortable with both our goalies. As it stands right now, Carter might be our number one goalie but we could probably throw in either guy and feel very good about our chances.

GOALTENDERS NAME

TEAM CANADA

HT.

WT.

BORN

HOMETOWN

CLUB TEAM

NHL DRAFT

CARTER HART

6’2”

181

8/13/1998

Sherwood Park, AB

Everett Silvertips (WHL)

PHI ’16 (2, 48)

CONNOR INGRAM

6’1”

201

3/31/1997

Imperial, SK

Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

TBL ’16 (3, 88)

DEFENCE

HT.

WT.

BORN

HOMETOWN

CLUB TEAM

NHL DRAFT

JAKE BEAN

6’1”

172

6/9/1998

Calgary, AB

Calgary Hitmen (WHL)

CAR ’16 (1, 13)

THOMAS CHABOT

6’2”

190

1/30/1997

Ste-Marie, QC

Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

OTT ’15 (1, 18)

KALE CLAGUE

6’0”

176

6/5/1998

Lloydminster, AB

Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

LAK ’16 (2, 51)

DANTE FABBRO

6’1”

192

6/20/1998

New Westminster, BC

Boston Univ. (NCAA)

NSH ’16 (1, 17)

NOAH JUULSEN

6’3”

190

4/2/1997

Abbotsford, BC

Everett Silvertips (WHL)

MTL ’15 (1, 26)

JÉRÉMY LAUZON

6’1”

205

4/28/1997

Val-d'Or, QC

Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)

BOS ’15 (2, 52)

PHILIPPE MYERS

6’5”

209

1/25/1997

Moncton, NB

Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)

Undrafted

FORWARDS NAME

HT.

WT.

BORN

HOMETOWN

CLUB TEAM

NHL DRAFT

MATHEW BARZAL

6’0”

183

5/26/1997

Coquitlam, BC

Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

NYI ’15 (1, 16)

ANTHONY CIRELLI

6’1”

185

7/15/1997

Woodbridge, ON

Oshawa Generals (OHL)

TBL ’15 (3, 72)

DILLON DUBÉ

5’11”

185

7/20/1998

Golden, BC

Kelowna Rockets (WHL)

CGY ’16 (2, 56)

PIERRE-LUC DUBOIS

6’2”

201

6/24/1998

Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, QC

Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL)

CBJ ’16 (1, 3)

JULIEN GAUTHIER

6’4”

225

10/15/1997

Pointe-aux-Trembles, QC

Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)

CAR ’16 (1, 21)

MATHIEU JOSEPH

6’1”

165

2/9/1997

Chambly, QC

Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

TBL ’15 (4, 120)

TYSON JOST

5’11”

194

3/14/1998

St. Albert, AB

Univ. of North Dakota (NCAA)

COL ’16 (1, 10)

MICHAEL MCLEOD

6’2”

194

2/3/1998

Mississauga, ON

Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)

NJD ’16 (1, 12)

TAYLOR RADDYSH

6’2”

209

2/18/1998

Toronto, ON

Erie Otters (OHL)

TBL ’16 (2, 58)

NICOLAS ROY

6’4”

207

2/5/1997

Amos, QC

Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)

CAR ’15 (4, 96)

BLAKE SPEERS

6’0”

183

1/2/1997

Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)

NJD ’15 (3, 67)

MITCHELL STEPHENS

6’0”

196

2/5/1997

Peterborough, ON

Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

TBL ’15 (2, 33)

DYLAN STROME

6’3”

198

3/7/1997

Mississauga, ON

Erie Otters (OHL)

ARI ’15 (1, 3)

NAME

2017 SCHEDULE MONDAY, DECEMBER 26 CANADA [vs] RUSSIA 8:00pm

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31

CANADA [vs] SLOVAKIA 8:00pm

CANADA [vs] LATVIA 8:00pm

CANADA [vs] USA 3:30pm

MONDAY, JANUARY 2 - QUARTERFINALS | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4 - SEMIFINALS | THURSDAY, JANUARY 5 - FINALS

PACIFIC JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

RICHMOND SET TO HOST SECOND ANNUAL WINTER CLASSIC Minoru Arena in Richmond will once again be the site of the PJHL Winter Classic, beginning New Year’s Day. The Richmond Sockeyes hosted the inaugural Winter Classic last year during the PJHL’s 50th anniversary season and the league decided to bring it back to Richmond. “Of course, that was our anniversary year, so we wanted to do something different,” said Doug Paterson, Winter Classic Chair and part of the Sockeyes ownership group. “We are committed to making this an annual event; we’ve signed an agreement with the City of Richmond for five more years.” From Jan. 1 to 3, all 10 PJHL teams will play in two games that count towards the regular season standings. It comes at a time when competition in the league is heating up as the Delta Ice Hawks and Grandview Steelers are tied for the Shaw Conference lead while the Sockeyes are only five points behind. As well, the showcase gives scouts from higher levels such as junior A, major junior and the NCAA a chance to see all of the PJHL’s talent in one rink over the holidays.

you that feel of a tournament and the enthusiasm that goes with it.” New for this year is a beer garden that’s been added thanks to a strong partnership with the City of Richmond. Paterson added that there are many volunteers who contribute to the success of the event. He said some of them may “grind it out through the whole 10 games” just for the passion of hockey. The Winter Classic is the first of three special events the PJHL has planned for January. There’s also the All-Star Game hosted by the Grandview Steelers on Jan. 16 and the Prospects Game hosted by the Mission City Outlaws on Jan. 30. For the All-Star Game, Stevan Matic and his staff on the Steelers bench will coach the Shaw Conference while Jim Cowden and his staff from the Abbotsford Pilots will coach the Brittain Conference. Darren Naylor and the Delta staff will be behind the bench for the Shaw Conference in the Prospects Game and they’ll be countered by the Brittain Squad, coached by Darin Vetterl and the rest of the Aldergrove Kodiaks staff.

“We’ve just got to continue to work on drawing more people, but outside of that, we really felt like our first year was a great success,” Paterson said.

ICE HAWKS ROCKET UP SHAW CONFERENCE STANDINGS There doesn’t appear to be anything separating the Delta Ice Hawks and the Grandview Steelers in the Shaw Conference standings. They’ve both amassed 38 points by Dec. 11 to sit in a tie for first place 28 games into the season.

“Even though it’s two league games, we have three games back-to-back-to-back and it gives

Delta (19-9) has made the climb to the top with five straight wins while Grandview (17-7-0-4) has remained

Paterson said there wasn’t much that needed to be changed from last year’s Winter Classic.

consistent with six wins in their last 10 games. Rookie Jordan Bogress has stepped up for the Ice Hawks with eight points (four goals and four assists) during Delta’s winning streak to move up to eighth in league scoring and first among rookies with 31 points (18 goals and 13 assists) over 26 games. Two more Delta rookies, Jordan Naylor and Cooper Anderson, remain strong in goal. Naylor sits third in the league in goals against average (2.25) and second in save percentage (.930) over 15 games. Through 10 games, Anderson has racked up impressive numbers (2.70 goals against average and .916 save percentage) as well. Grandview freshman Matteo Paier-Chow continues to guide the Steelers between the pipes with a 2.46 goals against average and .916 save percentage. Veteran Nico Bruno is still leading the Steelers in scoring with 26 points (nine goals and 17 assists) while rookie Jacob Siebenga isn’t far behind with 24 (10 goals and 14 assists). In the Brittain Conference, the Aldergrove Kodiaks continue to lead by a large margin thanks to eight wins in their last 10 games. The Kodiaks (23-6) have an eight-point lead over the Abbotsford Pilots (18-9-0-2). Aldergrove’s Eric Callegari and Cameron Davitt continue to rip up the league in scoring, sitting second and third in the league with 47 and 39 points, respectively. Callegari also leads the league in goals and sits one point behind Mission’s Baylee Wright in the scoring race.

PACIFIC JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1

1:00pm Mission City Outlaws............... VS.............. Port Moody Panthers 4:00pm Abbotsford Pilots..................... VS.......... Ridge Meadows Flames 7:00pm Aldergrove Kodiaks.................. VS................Richmond Sockeyes

MONDAY, JANUARY 2

10:00am Surrey Knights........................ VS.................... Abbotsford Pilots 1:00pm Ridge Meadows Flames........... VS.................Grandview Steelers 4:00pm Port Moody Panthers............... VS......North Vancouver Wolf Pack 7:00pm Delta Ice Hawks..................... VS.................Aldergrove Kodiaks

TUESDAY,

1:00pm North Vancouver Wolf Pack...... VS............. Mission City Outlaws 4:00pm Grandview Steelers................. VS.....................Delta Ice Hawks 7:00pm Richmond Sockeyes................ VS....................... Surrey Knights

JANUARY 3

Catch the LIVE action broadcast FREE of charge as our GAME OF THE MONTH.

Sunday, January 15 – FREE GAME

4:00pm Richmond Sockeyes................ VS.................Grandview Steelers

Hosted by PlayFullScreen.com

Monday, January 16 – ALL STAR GAME Hosted by Grandview Steelers

Monday, January 30 – PROSPECTS GAME Hosted by Mission City Outlaws

7:15pm Brittain All Stars ..................... VS....................... Shaw All Stars 7:00pm Shaw Prospects...................... VS................... Brittain Prospects

BRITTAIN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

SHAW CONFERENCE STANDINGS

1. Aldergrove Kodiaks (23-6) – 46 points

1. Delta Ice Hawks (19-9-0-0) – 38 points

2. Abbotsford Pilots (18-9-0-2) – 38 points

2. Grandview Steelers (17-7-0-4) – 38 points

3. Ridge Meadows Flames (14-13-0-1) – 29 points

3. Richmond Sockeyes (14-8-1-4) – 33 points

4. Mission City Outlaws (11-14-0-2) – 24 points

4. North Vancouver Wolf Pack (10-14-1-1) – 22 points

5. Surrey Knights (0-25-0-1) – 1 point

5. Port Moody Panthers (11-17-0-0) – 22 points

LEADING SCORERS 1. Baylee Wright, Mission – 21-27-48 2. Eric Callegar, Aldergrove – 22-25-47 3. Cameron Davitt, Aldergrove – 19-20-39 4. Kolby Steen, Abbotsford – 15-22-37 5. Keito Lee, Port Moody – 15-22-37 6. Daniel Szpakowski, Port Moody – 16-20-36 7. Ian Creamore, North Vancouver – 13-21-34 8. Jordan Bogress, Delta – 18-13-31 9. Andrew Strelezki, Ridge Meadows – 14-17-31 10. Mitchell Plevy, Abbotsford – 14-17-31

COLLEGE

U SPORTS

The World Junior exhibition games weren't just an audition for Team Canada training camp players, 11 U Sports players were also hoping to get noticed for the upcoming 2017 Winter Universiade team.

INTERNATIONAL AUDITION World Junior Canada-U Sport Selection Camp Games more than just exhibition for OUA stars STORY Randy Lucenti

HEY'RE CALLED EXHIBITION GAMES, BUT FOR the two combatants they're much more than just meaningless contests. The annual two-game series in December between a select team from U Sports (formerly the CIS) and players vying for coveted spots on Team Canada for the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championships is a chance for players on both squads to show what they've got. Team Canada continued its domination (14 wins in 20 games since 2003) over the student-athlete team with victories of 5-3 and 3-0 in Blainville, Que., but the matches also allowed Hockey Canada officials to evaluate and make their initial cuts for the host team in this year's WJC. The games also had additional meaning this year for 11 of the U Sports 23-man roster as those players, representing the OUA, were auditioning to be part of the Canadian team heading to Almaty, Kazakhstan in January for the 2017 Universiade. The university team also included six players from Canada West and six from the AUS.

HockeyNow December 24, 2016

The massive international multi-sporting event is held every two years and draws a field of more than 2,500 student-athletes. Since 1997, U Sports men's hockey has gone with a rotation for its squad in the Universiade with the OUA, AUS and Canada West taking turns providing the coaching staff and players. With 2017 being the OUA's turn, Brett Gibson, who has been at the helm of the Queen's Gaels for the past 11 seasons, has been tasked with guiding U Sports at the Universiade from Jan. 29 to Feb. 8 and started that evaluation process behind the bench against Team Canada. U Sports brought three goaltenders to the exhibition games, but none of them saw game action as Team Canada auditioned its three netminders by rotating between the pipes for both teams. The collegiate puckstoppers included Belleville, Ont. native Kevin Bailie, who plays for Gibson at Queen's, along with Jordon Cooke (Leduc, Alta.) of the Saskatchewan Huskies and Corbin Boes (Saskatoon, Sask.) of the Dalhousie Tigers. The only goal-scoring game for the U Sports team saw two of the three goals earned by OUA players: Brett Welychka (London, Ont.) of the Carleton Ravens and Nathan Chiarlitti (Maple, Ont.) of the McGill Redmen (on top of U Sports’ opening goal from University of New Brunswick’s Philippe Maillet). OUA’s Spencer Abraham (Campbellville, Ont., Gaels) also earned an assist (shared with

University of Alberta’s Jamie Crooks) on Chiarlitti’s goal. The other Ontario skaters who played in the Team Canada series and with a chance to head across the pond in 2017 include defencemen Martin Lefebvre (Terrebonne, Que.) of the UQTR Patriotes and Derek Sheppard (Ajax, Ont.) of the York Lions along with forwards Guillaume Asselin (Quebec City, Que.) of the Patriotes, Michael Fine (Toronto, Ont.) of the Ryerson Rams, Olivier Hinse (Sherbrooke, Que.) of the Concordia Stingers, Michael McNamee (Perth, Ont.) of the Ravens, and Mathieu Pompei (Laval, Que.) of the Redmen. Those 11 players will be joined by an additional 29 student-athletes for a four-day Christmas break camp at Teen Ranch in Caledon. Following that camp, Gibson is expected to name his 23-man Universiade roster on Dec. 30 Other members of the U Sports staff for the Universiade include assistant coaches Brian Bourque of the Waterloo Warriors (who will also act as the team manager), Craig Duncanson of the Laurentian (Sudbury) Voyageurs and Marty Johnston of the Ravens. In three previous Universiade appearances, the OUA reps have captured a pair of bronze medals (1999 and 2011) while placing fifth overall in 2005. Overall, Canada has medalled 14 times in 15 appearances at the event including four championship titles. At the last games in Granada, Spain, the Canada West all-stars placed third overall behind champion Russia and runner-up Kazakhstan.

NCAA

COLLEGE

TAKING CENTRE STAGE Move over Jost and Jaillet, these Canadians are dominating the NCAA Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Div. 1 hockey rankings STORY Randy Lucenti

MICHIGAN TECH ATHLETICS

HE TWO MOST TALKED ABOUT CANADIANS IN NCAA Division 1 men's hockey are Tyson Jost and Tanner Jaillet, but as the collegiate loop heads into the second half of the 2016-17 campaign, a few other players from north of the border are also garnering some attention. Jost was the biggest name among freshmen players this season as he joined the reigning national champion University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks after being drafted in the first round (10th overall) by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft right out of the BCHL and the Penticton Vees. Jaillet, a native of Red Deer, Alta. who is in his junior year as the starting goaltender for the University of Denver Pioneers, is considered by many observers as a strong candidate for the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA's top netminder and a player who could contest for the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top player. Both Jost and Jaillet are living up to their billing, but a number of other Canucks have better numbers than those two heading into the stretch drive. When it comes to skaters, Edmonton, Alta. native Spencer Foo of the Union Dutchmen has been among the nation's top scorers since the puck dropped on the new campaign. Through the first 17 games, Foo racked up 30 points (11G, 19A), including 27 points (9G, 18A) on a 15-game scoring streak. He also had six special team goals, five on the power play and one shorthanded marker. The third-year Dutchmen trailed only teammate Mike Vecchione, with 35 points (17G, 18A), and New Hampshire's Tyler Kelleher, with 31 points (12G, 19A), atop the national scoring race. Foo, who played a pair of seasons for the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the AJHL before heading to Union, finished second in team scoring last season with 25 points and tied for the club lead in goals with 12. He also had 25 points (11G, 14A) in his freshman campaign and was named to the ECAC all-rookie squad. Jost, meanwhile, was averaging better than a point per game with 18 points (7G, 11A) in 17 starts, but that just puts him in a tie for 40th overall with a number of other Canadians between him and Foo, including Northeastern Huskies junior forward Dylan Sikura. Sikura, who is a native of Aurora, Ont., was tied for seventh overall in scoring with 25 points (10G, 15A) in just 16 games after tallying just 28 points (10G, 18A) in 39 games last season and just seven points in 25 games as a freshman. Prior to the Huskies, Sikura toiled for three seasons with his hometown Aurora Tigers

of the OJHL, picking up 110 points (31G, 79A) in 131 regular season games. Two other Ontario-born players and teammates with Robert Morris Colonials are also enjoying above-average seasons. Alex Tonge, a sophomore from Kingston, Ont., and Daniel Leavens, a senior from Toronto, Ont., were tied for 11th in the nation with 23 points apiece through their first 16 games. Tonge, who played for four seasons with the Kingston Voyageurs of the OJHL before joining the Colonials, had 10 goals and 13 assists while Leavens, who played for both the Newmarket Hurricanes and Hamilton Red Wings over his four-year junior career, had six goals and 17 helpers. When it comes to goaltending, Jaillet, like Jost, has not disappointed by backstopping the Pioneers to one of the best records and rankings in the nation heading into the second half of the season. He had a record of 11-2-3 in 16 games played with a 1.99 GAA and save percentage of .922 while allowing 32 goals. Not too shabby, but he too trailed a couple of other Canadians in the stats department and both are freshmen. Leading all netminders is Langley, B.C. native Angus Redmond of the Michigan Tech Huskies. He had allowed just 20 goals while appearing in 15 games (11-2-1) and sported a sparkling 1.40 goals-against-average and save percentage of .937. Prior to Michigan, he played three and a half seasons with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the BCHL. Right behind Redmond in second spot was first year puckstopper Francis Marotte of the Colonials. The Longueuil, Que. native had a record of 7-2-1 while appearing in 11 games. He had given up 17 goals between the pipes and had a GAA of 1.75 and save percentage of .947. The 21-year-old toiled for two seasons and appeared in 91 games for the Nepean Raiders of the CCHL before heading south. A lot can change in the second half of the season, but through the first half there are some new Canadian names becoming known in NCAA circles.

Freshman goaltender Angus Redmond of the Michigan Tech Huskies topped the leader board among puck-stoppers heading into the second half of the NCAA Division 1 men's hockey.

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TOURNAMENT CALENDAR

DECEMBER 2016 CAMBRIDGE, ON | Dec. 27 - 30 50th Annual Hespeler Olympics Hockey Tournament. Male. Divisions: Initiation - Juvenile. Levels: A, B, Selects. Contact: weekendhockey.email@gmail.com or weekendhockey.com RICHMOND, ON | Dec. 27 Richmond IP Fun Day Holiday Hockey Challenge. Male & Female. Divisions: Initiation. Levels: House. Contact: tournaments.rmmha@gmail.com or rmmh.pointstreaksites.com RICHMOND, ON | Dec. 28 RMMHA Midget A House League Tournament. Male & Female. Divisions: Midget. Levels: A, House. Contact: tournaments.rmmha@gmail.com or rmmh.pointstreaksites.com RICHMOND, ON | Dec. 28 RMMHA Bantam A House League Tournament. Male & Female. Divisions: Bantam. Levels: A, House. Contact: tournaments.rmmha@gmail.com or rmmh.pointstreaksites.com RICHMOND, ON | Dec. 29 RMMHA Bantam B House League Tournament. Male & Female. Divisions: Bantam. Levels: B, House. Contact: tournaments.rmmha@gmail.com or rmmh.pointstreaksites.com LAKE PLACID, NY | Dec. 29 - 31 AMERICAN CUP III. Male. Divisions: Minor Atom - Bantam. Levels: AA, A, B, Selects. Contact: goals@chehockey.com or www.chehockey.com

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RICHMOND, ON | Dec. 30 RMMHA Midget B House League Tournament. Male & Female. Divisions: Midget. Levels: B, House. Contact: tournaments.rmmha@gmail.com or rmmh.pointstreaksites.com BURLINGTON, ON | Dec. 30 - Jan 1 Burlington Weekend Hockey Tournament Tournament. Male Divisions: Juvenile, Adult Rec. Levels: All Levels, Senior. Contact: info@weekendhockey.com or weekendhockey.com

CIH ACADEMY Eastern Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Premier Hockey Prep School

JANUARY 2017 OTTAWA, ON | Jan. 6 - 8 13th Annual Capital Winter Classic - Weekend 1. Male. Divisions: Minor Bantam, Bantam, Minor Midget, Major Midget. Levels: AA, A, B. Contact: tournaments@sensplex.ca or sensplex.ca LAKE PLACID, NY | Jan. 12 - 15 AMERICAN CUP IV. Male. Divisions: Minor Atom - Bantam. Levels: AA, A, B, Selects. Contact: goals@chehockey.com or www.chehockey.com BRADFORD, ON | Jan. 13 - 15 Bradford Blue & Gold Classic. Male. Divisions: Peewee - Midget. Levels: B, House, Selects. Contact: weekendhockey.email@gmail.com or weekendhockey.com MONTREAL, PQ | JAN. 13 - 15 CANADIAN CUP III. Male & Female. Divisions: Minor Atom - Squirt. Levels: AA, A, B, Selects. Contact: goals@chehockey.com or www.chehockey.com

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