Korczak Named To Hockey Canada’s 2019 IIHF U18 World Championship Training Camp Roster
Hockey Canada has named Kelowna Rockets defenceman, Kaedan Korczak to their training camp roster for the upcoming 2019 IIHF U18 World Championship, scheduled for April 18-28 in Örnsköldsvik and Umeå, Sweden.
Korczak has previously suited up for Hockey Canada twice. He won gold with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup last August in Edmonton, Alta. The Yorkton, Sask. product also played with Canada Black at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge back in 2017.
Korczak is coming off of a standout year where he was named the Rockets Best Defenceman after posting career highs in goals, assists and points. Suiting up in all 68 Rockets games this season, Korczak had four goals and 29 assists, giving him 33 points. He was counted on in all situations this past season.
The 6’3, 188-pound defender is projected to be drafted early on at the upcoming 2019 NHL Entry Draft in June. He was invited to play in the Sherwin-Williams Top Prospects Game in Red Deer on Team Orr back in January. Korczak was ranked 31st amongst North American skaters on Central Scouting’s midterm rankings.
Over the next week, Hockey Canada and team staff will continue to monitor the Canadian Hockey League playoffs and can invite additional players to training camp before a final roster is named ahead of the tournament. Players will gather in Kisakallio from April 8-12 for five days of practice before heading to Sweden for two pre-tournament games – April 14 versus Belarus in Umeå and April 15 versus Russia in Örnsköldsvik.
Canada will look to claim gold for the first time since 2013 when it kicks off its tournament schedule against Finland on Thursday, April 18 at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT. Canada will also match up against Switzerland, Belarus and the Czech Republic in the preliminary round before the tournament wraps up with the bronze and gold medal games on Sunday, April 28.
TSN and RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partners, will broadcast 15 games, including all of Team Canada’s match-ups at the IIHF U18 World Championship, all quarter-finals, both semifinals and the bronze and gold medal games.
Canada has won seven medals at the IIHF U18 World Championship, including three gold (2003, 2008, 2013), one silver (2005) and three bronze (2012, 2014, 2015).
For more information on Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Twitter.com/HC_Men.
