Wild Defenseman Boston Tait Selected to World U17 Hockey Challenge
TRURO, Nova Scotia – The Wenatchee Wild, proud members of the Western Hockey League (WHL), are excited to announce that 2009-born defenseman Boston Tait has been named to the
Canada Red team at the upcoming World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, scheduled for November 2 to 8. Tait was selected to participate in the event after being one of 80 Canadian players invited to Canada’s national U17 Program of Excellence summer camp in July.
“The Wild would like to congratulate all the CHL players selected to participate with Team Canada. It is a great honor for these young men to represent their country,” said Wenatchee Wild director of scouting Leigh Mendelson. “For Boston to have this opportunity, it is a recognition of the work he has put into his game over the past several years, on and off the ice. We hope this is the beginning of a long association between Boston and Hockey Canada.”
Tait is in his first full season of junior play after joining the Wild on an affiliate basis last year, appearing in six games and notching a pair of assists during a midseason call-up. This season, Tait has played in seven contests and posted two assists. He is the first player from the Wild roster to be named to the tournament since the Winnipeg ICE relocated to the Wenatchee Valley in 2023. The Estevan, Saskatchewan native was taken by the Wild with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft.
The tournament has been held since 1986, when it was known as the Quebec Esso Cup, and has become one of Hockey Canada’s most prestigious international tournaments. Canada fields two teams annually for the six-team tournament, which will also feature teams this year from Czechia, Finland, Sweden and the United States. At least one Canadian team has medaled in each of the last three tournaments, with Canada White and Canada Red facing off for the championship last year.
Canada Red will face Czechia in a pre-tournament matchup October 31 in Amherst, Nova Scotia before the bulk of the tournament gets underway in Truro on November 2. Canada Red will play in a group with Finland and the United States, while the Swedes and Czechs will match up in group play with Canada White.
The Wenatchee Wild congratulate Boston Tait on his selection to the upcoming World U17 Hockey Challenge, and are proud to wish him all success in representing his home country in the tournament.
