12 WHL Players named to Team Canada’s National Junior Team
OTTAWA, ON – Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced on Monday the 22 players that will make up Canada’s National Junior Team for the upcoming 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, from December 26, 2008 – January 5, 2009.
12 of the 22 players announced to the roster are from the Western Hockey League, including 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship gold medalists Zach Boychuk (Lethbridge Hurricanes) and Thomas Hickey (Seattle Thunderbirds). Also, for the fourth time in the last five years both goaltenders named to Team Canada ply their trade in the WHL, arch rivals during the regular season will become teammates over the holidays as the Spokane Chiefs’ Dustin Tokarski and the Tri-City Americans’ Chet Pickard were named to the roster. Over the past four World Junior tournaments, 37 WHL players have helped Team Canada capture four consecutive Gold medals. In the past 10 years WHL players have made up 40% of Team Canada’s National Junior roster and 60% of Team Canada’s defence core.
WHL Players named to Team Canada’s 2009 National Junior Roster
Name P S/C HT WT Born Hometown 2008-09 Team Pro status
Chet Pickard G L/G 6’1” 216 11/29/89 Winnipeg, MB Tri-City (WHL) NSH ’08 (1, 18)
Dustin Tokarski G L/G 5’11” 189 09/16/89 Watson, SK Spokane (WHL) TB ’08 (5, 122)
Keith Aulie D L/G 6’6” 215 06/11/89 Rouleau, SK Brandon (WHL) CGY ’07 (4, 116)
Thomas Hickey D L/G 5’11” 194 02/08/89 Calgary, AB Seattle (WHL) LA ’07 (1, 4)
Tyler Myers D R/D 6’7.5” 213 02/01/90 Calgary, AB Kelowna (WHL) BUF ’08 (1, 12)
Colten Teubert D R/D 6’3” 189 03/08/90 White Rock, BC Regina (WHL) LA ’08 (1, 13)
Jamie Benn F/A L/G 6’1.5” 202 07/18/89 Victoria, BC Kelowna (WHL) DAL ’07 (5, 129)
Zach Boychuk F/A L/G 5’10” 175 10/04/89 Airdrie, AB Lethbridge (WHL) CAR ’08 (1, 14)
Jordan Eberle F/A R/D 5’10” 181 05/15/90 Calgary, AB Regina (WHL) EDM ’08 (1, 22)
Tyler Ennis F/A L/G 5’8” 165 10/06/89 Edmonton, AB Medicine Hat (WHL) BUF ’08 (1, 26)
Brett Sonne F/A L/G 6’0” 187 05/16/89 Maple Ridge, BC Calgary (WHL) STL ’07 (3, 85)
Dana Tyrell F/A L/G 5’9.5” 182 04/23/89 Airdrie, AB Prince George (WHL) TB ’07 (2, 47)
CLICK HERE FOR FULL TEAM CANADA NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM ROSTER
Canada’s National Junior Team includes four players (Boychuk, Hickey, Subban, Tavares) who won gold medals at the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Eighteen of the players have previous international experience, including 12 players who played with Canada’s National Under-18 Team and 18 who played with Canadian regional Under-17 teams at either the World Under-17 Challenge or the Canada Winter Games.
Twenty of the players named to the final roster were drafted in either the 2007 or 2008 NHL Entry Draft, including 10 first-round selections and four second-round selections. Two players are eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Canada will play its first game of the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship on Boxing Day, December 26th versus the Czech Republic.
TSN, TSN HD and TSN.ca, along with RDS, RDS HD and RDS.ca have live coverage of the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship, airing December 26 to January 5 from Ottawa.
Team Canada games will also be broadcast LIVE on the FAN radio network (check local listings).
Canada has medaled in 10-straight World Junior Championships including: gold medal performances in 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005, silver medals in 2004, 2003, 2002, 1999 and bronze medals in 2001 and 2000.
For more information on the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship, or Canada’s National Junior Team, visit Hockey Canada’s official website www.hockeycanada.ca
CANADA’S 2009 NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM BY THE NUMBERS
Returning 2008 National Junior Team players – 4
• Zach Boychuk, Thomas Hickey, PK Subban, John Tavares
Players who took part in the ADT CHL Canada/Russia Challenge – 20
• G – Allen, Pickard, Tokarski
• D – Aulie, Ellis, Hickey, Myers, Pietrangelo, Subban, Teubert
• F – Benn, Boychuk, Cormier, Della Rovere, Eberle, Ennis, Esposito, Hodgson, Sonne, Tavares, Tyrell
Minor Hockey / Hockey Canada branch breakdown:
• 8 – Ontario Hockey Federation
• 5 – Hockey Alberta
• 3 – BC Hockey
• 3 – Saskatchewan Hockey Association
• 1 – Hockey Manitoba
• 1 – Hockey Quebec
• 1 – Hockey New Brunswick
Where they are playing:
• 12 players from the Western Hockey League (WHL)
• 6 players from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
• 3 players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
• 1 player from U.S. College Hockey (NCAA)
Program of Excellence experience:
• Twelve (12) of the 22 players have played for Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team
• Eighteen (18) of the 22 players have been involved in Canada’s regional under-17 program
• Four players – Benn, DiDomenico, Pickard, Tokarski – will be representing Canada for the first time with a regional or national team.
Leadership:
• Six (6) players (Aulie, Della Rovere, Hickey, Hodgson, Pietrangelo, Tyrell) are currently captains of their respective CHL teams, and nine (9) players are alternate captains
Vital statistics:
• Average age: 19 years, 1 month, 9 days (as of Dec. 26, 2008)
• By year of birth: 1989 (13 players), 1990 (8 players), 1991 (1 player)
• Average height: 6’0”
• Average weight: 193 lbs
NHL Entry Draft information:
• Twenty (20) of the 22 players on the final roster have been drafted in either the 2007 or 2008 NHL Entry Drafts
• Ten of the twenty NHL drafted players were first-round NHL selection, four (4) players are second-round NHL picks, and one was selected in the third round
• Two undrafted players are on Canada’s roster, both are eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft