MOOSE ROOKIES ON THE WORLD STAGE IN B.C.
The year 2015 has been one to remember so far for 16-year-old defenceman Walter Flower of the Halifax Mooseheads. The Lunenburg, NS native came back from broken leg to lead Team Nova Scotia at the Canada Winter Games in February where he was regarded by many as the top defenceman on the team.
Flower’s success led to the Mooseheads selecting him in the second round of June’s QMJHL Entry Draft in Sherbrooke.
The soft-spoken blue-liner received the news in September that he’d have the chance to represent Canada at the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Flower, who made the cross-Canada trek last Monday, was one of 66 players selected to play in the Annual event taking place this year from November 1st to 7th in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, British Columbia.
His Canada Red team went undefeated in preliminary round action and secured first place in Group B when Flower assisted on the overtime winner in a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over Russia.
Flower has yet to register his first career point for the Mooseheads through 13 games played this season, but is amongst the team leaders with a +2 rating.
Meantime, Mooseheads teammate and fellow rookie Arnaud Durandeau was named as a last minute injury replacement for Canada Black at the prestigious tournament. The 7th overall selection in the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft made an immediate impact by scoring on Sunday night in a 5-3 loss to Canada White.
Durandeau has three goals and two assists in 18 games with the Herd.
Canada Red will also face off against Sweden in Group B action on Monday night at 10pm Atlantic before facing Russia on Tuesday at 10pm Atlantic to finish off their preliminary round schedule.
Group A features the Canada Black & White teams along with the United States and the Czech Republic.
Durandeau’s Canada Black squad finished at the bottom of the Group A standings and will square off with Flower and the Canada Red team Thursday afternoon in Fort St. John, BC.
You can watch the matchup between the Mooseheads rookies by clicking here.