Sting Goaltender Ben Gaudreau Named to 2023 Canadian National Junior Team
Hockey Canada announced this afternoon that Sarnia Sting Goaltender Ben Gaudreau will be a part of their 22-man roster for the 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) 2023 World Junior Championship, taking place from December 26th to January 5th in Halifax and Moncton, New Brunswick.
Since being selected by the Sting 7th overall in the 2019 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection, Gaudreau has played in 94 OHL games, posting a 0.886 save percentage and a goals against average of 3.86 in addition to recording an impressive .924 save percentage and 2.63 goals against average through 6 career playoff appearances.
In May of 2021, the Corbeil, Ontario native made his debut with Hockey Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Hockey Championships in Frisco, Texas. Through 5 games played on route to an international championship, Gaudreau went undefeated in the Canadian net, recording a .919 save percentage and a goals against average of just 2.20 in the process.
BENNY CAPTURES THE GOLD! ????@BenGaudreau03 // #RiseUnited pic.twitter.com/ikNtSBf0Bm
— Sarnia Sting (@StingHockey) May 7, 2021
Gaudreau’s performance with Team Canada set the stage for the 2021 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft, where he was selected by the San Jose Sharks with the 81st overall pick on Saturday, July 24th, 2021.
After being named to Hockey Canada’s roster, Gaudreau will represent Canada alongside Sarnia Sting Head Coach Alan Letang, who was previously named as an Assistant Coach ahead of the team’s selection camp.
Canada’s National Junior Team will practice at the Garcelon Civic Centre in St. Stephen, New Brunswick from December 14th through 18th, prior to the start of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship on Boxing Day. The Team will also face off against Switzerland on December 19th, Slovakia on December 21st and Finland on December 23rd as part of its pre-tournament schedule.
