Players anxious for SUBWAY Super Series
By Aaron Bell
Zack Kassian is looking forward to the upcoming SUBWAY Super Series as his next step towards fulfilling his dream of playing for Canada’s National Junior Team.
The SUBWAY Super Series is final evaluation tool used by Hockey Canada to select the players that will be invited for the final selection camp before the tournament, which opens Boxing Day in Buffalo, NY.
Kassian won OHL and Memorial Cup championships with the Windsor Spitfires last May and hopes to get the chance to represent his country this Christmas.
“It’s the one thing missing from my resume,” Kassian told the Windsor Star after he was named to the Team OHL roster for the event, which kicks off on Nov. 8 in Saint John, NB. “I’ve been to two development camps and this is something I really want.”
The SUBWAY Super Series continues on Wednesday Nov. 10 in Drummondville, QC before coming to Ontario for games in London on Thursday Nov. 11 and Sudbury on Monday Nov. 15. The series concludes in British Columbia with games in Kamloops on Wednesday Nov. 17 and in Prince George on Thursday Nov. 18.
Kassian and Spitfires’ teammate Ryan Ellis, who is looking for his third straight spot in the Team Canada lineup, will suit up for the game in Sudbury. The Spitfires have three league games between the London and Sudbury games of the series so they are only able to participate in one game against the Russians.
Kassian has five goals and 12 assists for 17 points in eight games with the Spitfires this season and hopes that his play to date will make it an easy decision for the Team Canada brass to include him in the final camp.
“I just have to keep playing the way I’ve been playing and hopefully they like it,” Kassian said.
When the series opens in Eastern Canada, Zack Phillips of the Saint John Sea Dogs also hopes that he will be able to get some attention from Team Canada.
Phillips played prep school hockey in Massachusetts and planned to play in the NCAA. He felt that he wasn’t being seen by Hockey Canada and came to the Sea Dogs last season.
Phillips will be joined by teammates Simon Despres, Nathan Beaulieu and Jonathan Huberdeau in the series and is anxious to play in the opener on home ice.
“It’s been a goal of mine since the start of the season to make it,” Phillips told the Saint John Telegraph-Journal. “I’m happy people are noticing the hard work.”
Phillips has eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in 15 games with the Sea Dogs but wasn’t sure if he would get the nod to play in the series.
“There were rumours floating around about who’s going to make the team and who’s not,” Phillips said. “You get kind of nervous about it and I’m happy it’s over with.
“The world juniors, it’s just as big as the Stanley Cup in Canada. Hopefully I get the chance to try out for that team.”
For all of the rosters, schedules and news about the 2010 SUBWAY Super Series, please visit www.subwaysuperseries.com.