Hockey rosters picked for upcoming Canada Games
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/12/2014 (3388 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The province’s top rising hockey stars – including one 14-year-old defenceman – have officially cracked Team Manitoba’s roster for the upcoming Canada Games.
Today Hockey Manitoba unveiled the 20-player rosters for Team Manitoba’s U16 male and U18 female teams which will head to Prince George, B.C. in mid-February to compete in the national spotlight. A passel of up’n’comers made the cut, including three first-round WHL draft picks – though among the most notable is 14-year-old defenceman Jett Woo, who secured his spot on the roster thanks to a breakout bantam season with the Winnipeg Warriors.
The roster announcement wraps up a year-long scouting and development process through Hockey Manitoba’s Program of Excellence.
The teams have a history of matching performance: at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax, both the U16 and U18 teams finished fifth. In the 2007 Games before that, they both earned silver medals.
Leading the way for Team Manitoba’s U16 side is rising star Stelio Mattheos, who plays midget with the Winnipeg Wild and was picked first overall in the 2014 WHL draft by the Brandon Wheat Kings. He is joined by defenceman Josh Brook, who was a fourth-overall Moose Jaw Warriors draft pick, and MMHL Winnipeg Thrashers forward Cody Glass, who went in the first round to the Portland Winterhawks.
Meanwhile, Team Manitoba’s U18 girls include 11 returning players from the 2013 national championship, where Team Manitoba finished fifth. Four of the 20 players also attended Canada’s U18 selection camp earlier this month. Taking a turn as captain is St. Mary’s Academy Flames Prep forward Randi Marcon. The team also includes a number of other rising stars, such as Marcon’s Flames teammate Kayla Friesen and Balmoral Hall Blazers phenom Ryleigh Houston.
The 2015 Canada Winter Games kick off on Feb. 13 in Prince George, and run through to March 1. Manitoba will send 248 athletes, 72 coaches and 20 mission staff to the Games, which feature competition in 24 different sports.