RED DEER - Wednesday was quite the day for a number of Albertans, as the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, National Women’s Team and Team WHL rosters were all announced.
Eight Team Alberta alumni selected for World U17 Hockey Challenge
Eight players from Team Alberta’s 2019 Canada Winter Games U16 squad have been selected to play in the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Medicine Hat and Swift Current.
Defencemen Corson Ceulemans (Beaumont) Kyle Masters (Edmonton) and Olen Zellweger (Fort Saskatchewan), and forwards Jayden Grubbe (Calgary), Dylan Guenther (Edmonton), Matthew Savoie (St. Albert), Sean Tschigerl (Whitecourt) and Kai Uchacz (Okotoks) are among the 66 players chosen to represent Canada.
The 66 players will be divided into three teams representing Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red, and Team Canada White when they compete against the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, and the United States in their quest for a gold medal.
In July, 112 players were invited to the week-long national under-17 development camp, marking the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence.
The tournament opens with all three Canadian teams in action Saturday, November 2 at 7p.m. MT; Team Canada Red takes on Russia at the Innovation Credit Union iPlex in Swift Current, and Team Canada Black will face off against Team Canada White at the Canalta Centre in Medicine Hat.
Single-game tickets will be available for purchase starting at $10 for youth and $15 for adults on Oct. 16, and can be purchased online at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.
Maschmeyer to suit up for Team Canada in November
Former Team Alberta U18 Female netminder Emerance Maschmeyer will take a familiar spot in net for Team Canada this November, as the Bruderheim native was named to the National Women’s Team roster for the two game-series against the United States set for November 8-10 in Cranberry Township, PA.
Team Canada will take on the United States at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Friday, Nov. 8 at 5 p.m. MT and Sunday, Nov. 10 at 11 a.m. MT. Both games are in preparation for the 2020 IIHF Women’s World Championship, March 31-April 10 in Halifax and Truro, N.S.
Six Albertans land on Team WHL for Canada Russia Series
Six Albertans will suit up for Team WHL during the 2019 CIBC Canada Russia Series in Saskatoon and Prince Albert in November.
Defencemen Bowen Byram (Lethbridge/Cranbrook) and Ty Smith (Lloydminster), along with forwards Kirby Dach (Fort Saskatchewan), Dillon Hamaliuk (Leduc), Peyton Krebs (Okotoks) and Brayden Tracey (Calgary) will represent their league in games five and six of the annual series, set for November 13 in Saskatoon, and November 14 in Prince Albert.