The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge descends on Medicine Hat for pre-tournament action tonight at the Canalta Centre.
While Canada Red will be the only local team to play their round robin games out of Swift Current’s Innovation Credit Union iPlex, fans in Medicine Hat will get a glimpse of the Great White North’s third squad for tonight’s exhibition border battle against the USA at 7 p.m.
Canada Red boasts five Western Hockey League players on its roster, led offensively by Kamloops Blazers centre Logan Stankoven. Stankoven enters the tournament with four goals and two assists over his first 14 games with the Blazers this season, but he’s far from the only player on Canada Red worth keeping an eye on throughout the tournament.
Saint John Sea Dogs centre Joshua Roy will be out to make a name for himself after putting up 88 points in 42 games with the Quebec Midget AAA League’s Levis Chevaliers last year. Roy went on to open his rookie season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with five goals and eight assists over 16 games before breaking for the tournament.
The United States also brings a few noteworthy names to the table, such as forward Chaz Lucius and defenceman Luke Hughes.
Hughes will certainly garner some attention as the younger brother of two first-round NHL draft picks. Jack, 18, went first overall to the New Jersey Devils this year while Quinn, 20, was the seventh overall selection of the Vancouver Canucks in 2018. Following in his older brothers’ footsteps, Hughes enters the Hockey Challenge after generating 14 points in as many games with the USA’s under-17 program this season.
Up front, Lucius will likely provide one of the USA’s top offensive threats. The 6-foot, 176-pound 16-year-old has been scoring at a blistering pace so far this season, entering the tournament with 14 goals and two assists over 14 contests.
The United States will play their group stage games out of the Canalta Centre against Canada White, Canada Black and the Czech Republic. Canada Red will host Finland, Sweden and Russia through the round robin in Swift Current.
The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge officially kicks off Saturday at 7 p.m. with Canada White taking on Canada Black at the Canalta Centre and Canada Red facing Russia in Swift.
