T-Birds Prospects Kai Uchacz and Lucas Ciona Named To Team Alberta U16 Shortlist Roster

Thirty-four Western Hockey League prospects have been shortlisted to help lead Hockey Alberta’s charge for gold at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alta.

Two of those players are T-Birds prospects Kai Uchacz and Lucas Ciona. Both were selected in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft.

Hockey Alberta released their 35-player shortlist, which includes five goaltenders, 10 defencemen, and 20 forwards, Monday with the hopes of establishing a gold-medal-winning roster following a silver-medal-performance at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, B.C. That 2015 squad included future WHL standouts like Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Calgary, Alta. / Spokane Chiefs), Ty Smith (Lloydminster, Alta. / Spokane Chiefs), Zane Franklin (Marwayne, Alta. / Lethbridge Hurricanes), Kyle Olson (Calgary, Alta. / Tri-City Americans), Ryan Peckford (Stony Plain, Alta. / Moose Jaw Warriors), and James Hamblin (Edmonton, Alta. / Medicine Hat Tigers).

Like the 2015 tournament did then, this year’s edition of the quadrennial games will future up-and-coming talent from the WHL ranks. All but one player from the 35-player roster was selected at the 2018 WHL Draft held back on May 3 in Red Deer, Alta.

The shortlist includes all 11 Alberta-born players selected in the first round of the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft, including first-overall-selection Dylan Guenther (Edmonton, Alta. / Edmonton Oil Kings) and fourth-overall-selection Sean Tschigerl (Edmonton, Alta. / Calgary Hitmen). With 17 WHL teams represented on the shortlist, the Red Deer Rebels lead the way among those with four players named to the group of 35, including forward Jayden Grubbe (Calgary, Alta. / Red Deer Rebels) and defenceman Kyle Masters (Edmonton, Alta. / Red Deer Rebels), both selected in the first round of the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft.

Right behind the Rebels were the Calgary Hitmen, Edmonton Oil Kings, and Tri-City Americans, who each had three players named to the shortlisted roster. Eight other teams had a pair of players named to the list while five teams each had a single player named to the shortlist.

Alberta’s last gold medal in men’s hockey at the Canada Winter Games came back in 2003 when the games were held in Bathurst and Campbellton, New Brunswick. That team also featured future WHL and NHL talent, including Kyle Chipchura (Westlock, Alta. / Prince Albert Raiders) and goaltender Devan Dubnyk (Calgary, Alta. / Kamloops Blazers).

The 2019 Canada Winter Games will be held in Red Deer, Alta. from February 15 to March 3, 2019.