PATS’ STEEL AND WAGNER INVITED TO CANADA’S WORLD JR. TRYOUTS

TORONTO, Ont. and MONTREAL, Que. – In less than 30 days, the puck will officially drop on the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, and 32 players are now one step closer to being part of this Canadian holiday tradition as a member of Canada’s National Junior Team.

Hockey Canada unveiled the list of invitees who will report to Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection Camp in Blainville, Que., Dec. 10-14, during coinciding news conferences in Montreal and Toronto on Tuesday. The cities will co-host the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship when it returns to Canadian ice next month.

Regina Pats forwards Sam Steel and Austin Wagner were among those selected. Prospect Tyson Jost is also on the roster.

The selection camp roster includes 19 forwards, 10 defencemen, and three goaltenders. The evaluation process was led by Ryan Jankowski, Hockey Canada’s director of player personnel, and Joël Bouchard of the organization’s Program of Excellence management group, with input from coaches and general managers from across the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).

“Congratulations to the 32 players named today to the National Junior Team selection camp roster,” said Scott Salmond, vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national teams, Hockey Canada. “With the number of talented players across Canada, it is a difficult process to get to this point. We are confident that the 22 players who emerge from this camp will wear the Team Canada jersey with pride, and give Canada the best opportunity to play for gold on January 5th.”

Five players return from the Canada’s National Junior Team that competed at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship in Helsinki, Finland: Mathew Barzal (Coquitlam, B.C./Seattle, WHL), Thomas Chabot (Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, Que./Saint John, QMJHL), Julien Gauthier (Pointe-aux-Trembles, Que./Val-d’Or, QMJHL), Mitchell Stephens (Peterborough, Ont./Saginaw, OHL), and Dylan Strome (Mississauga, Ont./Erie, OHL).

“There have been a number of difficult decisions to make just to get us to this point, and I expect these players will continue to impress us and make the next round of decisions tough as well, which speaks to the talent Canada continues to produce on the ice,” said Jankowski. “We’re eager to get the players and our coaching and support staff together and get started.”

The selection camp will be held at the home of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, the Centre d’Excellence Sports Rousseau, and features three games: two against the USport All-Stars on Dec. 12 and 13, and a final game against the Czech Republic on Dec. 14.

(With files from Hockey Canada, ReginaPats.com)