Hockey Alberta announced Thursday a 35 player shortlist of players hoping to represent Team Alberta at the 2013 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup.
Two players drafted by the Hurricanes in the 2013 Bantam draft are among 33 others on the list.
Stuart Skinner was picked 1st round, 17th overall in the draft. The 6’3 189 pound Goalie played last season with SSACLions of the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League. Skinner was 18-1-2 with a .929 Save Percentage, 1.75 GAA with 4 shutouts last season. Jaeger White was selected by the ‘Canes in the 4th round, 72nd overall. The 5’8, 162 pound Medicine Hat native put up 116 points (50G, 66A) in 56 games with 36 PIM’s playing forward with the Burnaby Winter Club of the PCBHL.
The selection process started at the Provincial Camp in Camrose where 80 athletes took part in on-ice sessions, dryland training and four scrimmages. Following the camp, the coaching staff faced some extremely difficult decisions to narrow the field down to the 35 players.
“The Provincial Camp was pretty intense, there was a lot of competition and the athletes worked really hard to impress the team staff,” said Hockey Alberta’s U16 Program Coordinator, Jay Pylypuik. “Trying to whittle down the list to just 35 players was really difficult. We can’t wait to watch them develop and eventually come together as Team Alberta.”
The top 35 will be scouted with their club teams until mid-October when Team Alberta names the 20 players that will compete at the 2013 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup.
The event brings together the top U16 players from Western Canada. Teams participating include Team BC, Team Alberta, Team Saskatchewan and Team Manitoba.
At the 2013 Western Canada Challenge Cup, Team Alberta won the silver medal losing to Team BC in the gold medal game. Team Alberta has made it to the gold medal game every year this event has been held.
The U16 Male Program is the second stage of the development and identification process that feeds Team Alberta which competes at the U16 Western Challenge Cup and Canada Winter Games (every 4 years).
(From Esther Madziya, Hurricanes Media Relations)
Thanks,
Pat
No comments:
Post a Comment