Lukas Sutter Named To Team Canada
Saskatoon Blades forward Lukas Sutter has been named as one of 28 players that will represent Canada in the 2012 Canada-Russia Challenge in August. It’s an event that replaces Canada’s National Junior Team summer development camp for this season.
Canada’s roster, comprised of three goaltenders, 10 defencemen and 15 forwards, was selected by Kevin Prendergast, head scout of the men’s Program of Excellence for Hockey Canada, along with Hockey Canada senior director of hockey operations and national teams Scott Salmond, and the team’s coaching staff, comprised of head coach Steve Spott (Waterloo, Ont./Kitchener, OHL), Mario Duhamel (St-Bruno, Que./Drummondville, QMJHL), Don Nachbaur (Prince George, B.C./Spokane, WHL) and André Tourigny (Nicolet, Que./Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL).
Prendergast will continue to monitor these players and other potential candidates during the first few months of the 2012-13 season and at the CHL Subway Super Series to determine who will be invited to Canada’s National Junior Team selection camp in December. In total, 22 players will be selected to represent Canada at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship, December 26, 2012 to January 5, 2013 in Ufa, Russia.
Sutter had a breakout year for the Blades, posting 59 points in 70 games. That number was far greater than the 19 points he posted in the 2010-11 season for Saskatoon. It’s also been a busy offseason for Sutter as he’s expected to be drafted in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Recently he was in Toronto, taking part in the 2012 NHL Draft Combine where he interviewed with 21 teams and did physical testing in front of NHL brass.
“I was in the middle of a workout when my phone started ringing,” said Sutter, about getting the call from Hockey Canada. “At first I was definitely surprised and caught off guard but as I had some time to let it settle in and really get a chance to think about it, it’s certainly an overwhelming honor. Getting an opportunity to wear the Maple Leaf has been a dream of my for so long and I can’t wait for August to come around.”
Sutter has had the chance to play at the International level before and he says those types of experiences will help him when it comes to playing for Team Canada.
“I remember going back to the Super Series in 07, watching guys like Stefan Legein, Brad Marchand and my cousin Brandon Sutter bring that gritty, aggressive game. That’s what I need to do. I am fortunate in that I have played internationally so I definitely plan to try and be a leader and to not get away from the game that has made me successful at the WHL level.”
Sutter previously played for USA hockey, representing them at the Ivan Hlinka tournament two years ago. He recently had to decide which country to play for and he explains how the decision came about.
“You need to play two full seasons of minor hockey in a country to represent them in international events and unfortunately I had not done that with USA. So, it would come down to an appeal process and when Hockey Canada came calling, it was an opportunity that I just couldn’t pass up. I owe a lot of my hockey success to USA Hockey and if the appeal process hadn’t been a factor, the decision certainly would have been far more difficult. However, now that the decision has been made, I am extremely honored to be a part of Hockey Canada.”
Hockey Canada and the CHL also named the members of the support staff for both the 2012 Canada-Russia Challenge and the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.
CLICK HERE FOR CANADA’S COMPLETE ROSTER FOR THE 2012 CANADA-RUSSIA CHALLENGE
Canada’s roster includes seven players who won bronze with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship in Alberta: defencemen Dougie Hamilton (Toronto, Ont./Niagara, OHL), Scott Harrington (Kingston, Ont./London, OHL) and Ryan Murray (White City, Sask./Everett, WHL) and forwards Jonathan Huberdeau (St-Jérôme, Que./Saint John, QMJHL), Boone Jenner (Dorchester, Ont./Oshawa, OHL), Mark Scheifele (Kitchener, Ont./Barrie, OHL) and Ryan Strome (Mississauga, Ont./Niagara, OHL). A number of the players on Canada’s roster in Yaroslavl, Russia and in Halifax, N.S., will be front and centre at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft on June 22-23 in Pittsburgh, where many are expected to be selected in the first and second rounds.
The 2012 Canada-Russia Challenge is a collaboration between Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and Halifax Trade Centre Limited, which will see Canada and Russia’s national junior programs face off in four games, two in Russia and two in Canada, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series.
2012 CANADA-RUSSIA CHALLENGE GAME SCHEDULE
Thursday, August 9 Time TBD Canada vs. Russia Yaroslavl, Russia
Friday, August 10 Time TBD Canada vs. Russia Yaroslavl, Russia
Monday, August 13 8 p.m. AT/7 p.m. ET Russia vs. Canada Halifax, N.S.
Tuesday, August 14 8 p.m. AT/7 p.m. ET Russia vs. Canada Halifax, N.S.
Two-game ticket packages for the Halifax portion of the series are on sale for $86, plus applicable fees. The packages are available by going to www.HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets, stopping by the Ticket Atlantic box office at the Halifax Metro Centre promenade via Carmichael and Duke streets, or by calling Ticket Atlantic at (902) 451-1221.
For more information on Canada’s National Junior Team and Hockey Canada, please visit www.HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hockeycanada and www.twitter.com/hc_teamcanada.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
André Brin Francis Dupont
Director, Communications Manager, Media Relations
Hockey Canada Hockey Canada
(403) 777-4557 (403) 777-4564
[email protected] [email protected]
Jason La Rose Kristen Lipscombe
Coordinator, Content Services Coordinator, Communications
Hockey Canada Hockey Canada
(403) 777-4553 (403) 284-6427
[email protected] [email protected]
Keegan Goodrich
Coordinator, Media Relations
Hockey Canada
(403) 284-6484
*This is a press release by Hockey Canada, with quotes and information about Lukas Sutter added by the Saskatoon Blades.