CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), announced on Tuesday the 41 players that will attend the Canada West evaluation camp in preparation for the 2010 World Junior A Challenge.
The evaluation camp, scheduled for September 27-28, will be held at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton, B.C., the same venue that will host the 2010 World Junior A Challenge from November 8-14.
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Mark MacMillan (Penticton, BCHL) has been invited to camp, but will be unable to take part due to injury. He remains under consideration for a place on the final Canada West roster, which will be named in late October.
Canada West has appeared in the gold medal game at all four previous World Junior A Challenges, winning gold in 2006 in Yorkton, Sask., and 2007 in Trail, B.C., before settling for silver in 2009 in Camrose, Alta., and last year in Summerside, P.E.I.
The Canada West roster is comprised of players from the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) and Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL).
“As a coaching staff, we are looking forward to bringing together 41 of the top Junior A players in western Canada for the evaluation camp,” said head coach Larry Wintoneak of the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers. “It will be exciting not only for us, but for the fans in Penticton as well to watch these players compete.”
Canada West’s evaluation camp roster includes:
– Four (4) goaltenders, 12 defensemen and 25 forwards
– Ten (10) players returning from the 2009 World Junior A Challenge (Breitkreuz, Dias, Downing, Fritz, Gallacher, Ginn, Halcrow, Laleggia, Marshall, O’Donnell)
– Three (3) players drafted in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft (Gallacher – Florida, 4th round, 93rd overall; MacMillan – Montreal, 4th round, 113th overall; Marshall – Tampa Bay, 6th round, 156th overall)
– Fourteen (14) players from the BCHL, 11 players from the AJHL, eight (8) players from the SJHL, five (5) players from the MJHL and three (3) players from the SIJHL
CAMP SCHEDULE
Monday, September 27
9:15-10:30 a.m. Practice Red
10:45 a.m.-noon Practice White
7:30 p.m. Game Red vs. White
Tuesday, September 28
9:15-10:30 a.m. Practice White
10:45 a.m.-noon Practice Red
7:30 p.m. Game Red vs. White
All practices are free to attend. Tickets to the two Red-White games are available for just $5 (plus applicable charges). Tickets can be purchased by phone at 1-877-763-2849, online at www.valleyfirsttix.com and in person at the South Okanagan Events Centre box office.
Canada West will play in Group B at the 2010 World Junior A Challenge, joined by Russia and Switzerland, while Canada East, Sweden and the United States will comprise Group A. Round-robin play will run until Wednesday, November 10, with both semifinals taking place on Saturday, November 13. The gold medal game, which will be shown nationally on TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, is set for Sunday, November 14 (check your local listings). All preliminary round games, quarter-finals, semifinals and the bronze medal game can be seen live via webcast through FASTHockey at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com.
For more information on the 2010 World Junior A Challenge, visit www.hockeycanada.ca/wjac.