21 CHL Players Named to Canada’s Under-18 Pre-Tournament Roster
ETOBICOKE, Ont. – Hockey Canada has announced the addition of 11 players to its pre-tournament roster for the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship in Poprad and Spisska Nova Ves, Slovakia, beginning later this month.
Joining Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Spokane Chiefs), Maxime Comtois (Victoriaville Tigres), Stelio Mattheos (Brandon Wheat Kings), Isaac Ratcliffe (Guelph Storm), and Ian Scott (Prince Albert Raiders) already named to the roster earlier this week are goaltenders Alexis Gravel (Halifax Mooseheads) and Jake McGrath (Sudbury Wolves); defencemen Josh Brook (Moose Jaw Warriors), Jocktan Chainey (Halifax Mooseheads), Jared McIsaac (Halifax Mooseheads) and Jett Woo (Moose Jaw Warriors); and forwards MacKenzie Entwistle (Hamilton Bulldogs), Liam Hawel (Guelph Storm), Kyle Olson (Tri-City Americans), Nate Schnarr (Guelph Storm), and Matthew Strome (Hamilton Bulldogs).
Gravel, Woo, and McIsaac join fellow underage players in Ty Dellandrea (Flint Firebirds), Anderson MacDonald (Sherbrooke Phoenix), Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm), Ty Smith (Spokane Chiefs) and Akil Thomas (Niagara IceDogs) in using the pre-tournament camp and games as an opportunity to further develop and gain international experience. Hockey Canada will still have an opportunity to add players to the roster as teams are eliminated in Canadian Hockey League (CHL) playoffs.
The team departs today for Slovakia to continue its training camp and play two pre-tournament games – April 9 in Bratislava versus Russia; and April 10 in Piestany versus Switzerland.
Canada opens the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship on April 13 against Latvia; it will also play Finland, Slovakia and Switzerland in preliminary-round action. TSN, the official broadcast partner of Hockey Canada, is broadcasting 12 games, including all of Team Canada’s match-ups at the IIHF U18 World Championship. RDS will broadcast 10 games, including Canada’s four preliminary-round games, two quarter-final games, both semifinals, and the bronze- and gold-medal games.
Canada has won seven medals at the IIHF U18 World Championship, including three gold medals (2003, 2008, 2013).
For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit
HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Twitter.com/HC_Men.
CHL PLAYERS NAMED TO CANADA’s U-18 PRE-TOURNAMENT ROSTER:
Goaltenders:
Alexis Gravel (Halifax Mooseheads)
Jake McGrath (Sudbury Wolves)
Ian Scott (Prince Albert Raiders)
Defencemen:
Josh Brook (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Jocktan Chainey (Halifax Mooseheads)
Jared McIsaac (Halifax Mooseheads)
Ryan Merkley (Guelph Storm)
Ty Smith (Spokane Chiefs)
Jett Woo (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Forwards:
Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Spokane Chiefs)
Maxime Comtois (Victoriaville Tigres)
Ty Dellandrea (Flint Firebirds)
MacKenzie Entwistle (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Liam Hawel (Guelph Storm)
Anderson MacDonald (Sherbrooke Phoenix)
Stelio Mattheos (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Kyle Olson (Tri-City Americans)
Isaac Ratcliffe (Guelph Storm)
Nate Schnarr (Guelph Storm)
Matthew Strome (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Akil Thomas (Niagara IceDogs)