WJHC NATIONAL SELECTION CAMP TO BEGIN
(Courtesy of Rob Henderson, Brandon Sun) Mark Stone has his hands full dealing with opponents trying to slow him.
Now he’s got to worry about staying out of his own way.
The Western HockeyLeague scoring leader and teammate Mike Ferland make their pitch to make Team Canada at the national junior team’s selection camp, beginning today in Calgary. Even a fourth-year WHL veteran like Stone admits it’s a little difficult to keep in the here and now with such a big camp coming up.
“It’s obviously going to be pretty hard (to stay focused),” said Stone, a 19-year-old Winnipegger who has 27 goals and 65 points in 33 games this season. “It’s going to be in my mind these two games, but I owe it to the team. I’ve got to stay sharp for these last two games.”
Ferland completed his three-game suspension Thursday and picked up two assists in Brandon’s 5-3 victory over the hometown Red Deer Rebels on Friday night.
After the WHL gave him some unplanned time off as punishment for his end-of-game fight with Vancouver Giants defenceman Wes Vannieuwenhuizen last week, the 19-year-old Brandonite is champing at the bit to get into some game action before the Canadian camp begins.
“I’m hoping I go and have a strong game (in Red Deer) and hopefully carry it into the camp,” Ferland, who has 17 goals and 44 points in 30 games, said before Friday’s win. “That’s what I’m really banking on now.”
Another Wheat King, Alessio Bertaggia, is also in the running for a spot in the world juniors, but his pre-tournament camp with Switzerland doesn’t begin until Dec. 17.
With his tryout just around the corner, Ferland admits that he can’t wait to get on the ice.
“I’m getting nervous,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll be really nervous when the time comes.”
The 41-man Canadian selection camp will be pared down to a 22-man roster that hopefully will be a cohesive unit by the time the world junior championship begins on Boxing Day in Edmonton and Calgary. While the final 22 will be the best of friends for the duration of the tournament, Stone predicts that the competition will be fierce until the team is named a week from today.
“Those first three days are going to be pretty tough days,” he said. “Obviously everybody wants to play for Team Canada at the world juniors, so everybody’s going to be pushing for a spot in those first couple of days.”
Bertaggia, 18, was contacted by Switzerland’s coach last month about taking part in his country’s camp, although the roster wasn’t officially announced until Tuesday. The Swiss team will take part in two exhibition games before its final roster is named on Dec. 23.
AROUND THE WHL: The Canadian junior hopefuls will take on a team of CISall-stars on Dec. 13, with former Wheat King Teegan Moore and Russell’s Brock Nixon, both of the University of Calgary, slated to play for the CISsquad … Medicine Hat RW Emerson Etem was the only WHL player named to the U.S. junior team’s preliminary roster this week. Etem played for the Americans last year … Rookie Kamloops D Landon Cross of Brandon scored his first career WHL goal last Wednesday in a 6-5 OT victory over Victoria.
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition December 7, 2011
