SUWAY SUPER SERIES ROSTERS UNVEILED
CALGARY, AB – The Canadian Hockey League in association with the Western Hockey League and the Moose Jaw Warriors and Regina Pats Hockey Clubs have announced the rosters for Team WHL that will compete against Team Russia in the 2011 SUBWAY® Super Series and the Brandon Wheat Kings will be well represented.
The 2011 SUBWAY® Super Series will take place November 7 – 17 and marks the ninth straight year that teams of CHL All-Stars have competed against Team Russia in preparation for the World Junior Hockey Championships. The SUBWAY® Super Series is an integral part of the evaluation process prior to Team Canada’s final selection camp in December. This season, Canada will be competing for their 14th straight medal at the 2012 tournament in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta.
Among the players chosen were Wheat King defenceman Jordan Fransoo and forwards Michael Ferland and Mark Stone.
A 19-year old Winnipeg product, who recently signed an NHL Entry Level Contract with the Ottawa Senators, Stone enters this weekend leading the league in scoring with nine goals and 28 points in thirteen games. As well, he has at least a point in Brandon’s thirteen games entering Friday night’s game against the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors.
A Calgary Flames draft choice, Ferland enters Friday’s game sitting in second place in team scoring with nine goals and 17 points while Fransoo, who was a seventh round draft choice of the Senators in last June’s NHL Entry Draft, has one assist and two minor penalties in the club’s first thirteen games.
Ferland and Stone are two of five Manitobans to be chosen to participate in this year’s Super Series. Joining them are netminder Calvin Pickard (Winnipeg) of the Seattle Thunderbirds, defenceman Dylan McIIrath (Winnipeg) and center Quinton Howden (Oakbank) of the Moose Jaw Warriors. Howden is the sole returning player from Team Canada’s 2011 silver medal team at the World Junior Championships and was selected in the opening round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Team WHL will face Team Russia in games five and six of the series played Wednesday, November 16 in Regina, SK, and on Thursday, November 17 in Moose Jaw, SK. The first two games of the series are hosted by the QMJHL with the OHL hosting games three and four.
“I am honoured and excited to have the opportunity to coach Team WHL at the 2011 SUBWAY Super Series,” said Don Hay. “This is an impressive group of talent that has been put together and I’m eager to see how they will stack up against the best Russia has to offer. This is also a great opportunity to get a better look at some of the guys who could be playing for Canada at the 2012 World Junior Championships.”
Team WHL was selected by a special committee of WHL General Managers along with Kevin Prendergast, Hockey Canada’s Head Scout for the Canadian National Junior Team, as part of the selection process for the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championships.
The Team WHL roster consists of 29 players – two goalies, 11 defenceman and 16 forwards, with the remainder of the roster be named at a later date. Top NHL prospects for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft Matt Dumba (RD), Morgan Reilly (MJ) and Colton Sissons (KEL) will compete in the series. Team WHL also features three first round draft picks from the 2011 NHL Draft, Duncan Siemens (SAS), Mark McNeill (PA) and Joe Morrow (POR).
Stone, Fransoo, Ferland and the Wheat Kings play two home games this weekend. In addition to Friday’s contest against the Warriors, Brandon plays host to the Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday.
Tickets to both games are on sale at the Keystone Centre box office, by calling 726-3555 or online at tickemtaster.ca
