Kelowna Rockets Dillon Dube will play for the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in November, Oct. 3, 2014.
Image Credit: Kelowna Rockets
October 03, 2014 - 10:52 AM
KELOWNA - Kelowna Rockets rookie Dillon Dube has been named to one of three Canadian teams participating in the 2014 under-17 Hockey Challenge in Sarnia Ont. this November.
Dube, 16, heralds from Alberta and is one of 66 players selected to the three rosters announced by Hockey Canada in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, Thursday.
An injury Dube received while in training camp is still a problem, however he'll play with the Rockets this weekend in Everett and Seattle this weekend.
This year, for the first time, the World Under-17 Challenge tournament will feature three Canadian national teams, Red, Black and White. From 1986 to 2014 Canada was represented by five regional teams, Atlantic, Ontario, Pacific, West and Quebec.
The Rockets will also represent Canada as they send head coach Dan Lambert to the event as one of three head coaches for Team Canada.
Of the 66 players selected to the three rosters, 19 are from the Western Hockey League. Dube’s Team White boasts seven WHL players while Team Black includes eight WHL players and Team Red features four WHL players.
“It is an exciting day for Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence,” said Scott Salmond, vice-president of hockey operations and national teams with Hockey Canada. “This is a tremendous group of 66 players we have named today, and we’re confident they will represent their country with pride and passion as we kick off a new era for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.”
Since the first under-17 tournament (then known as the Quebec Esso Cup) in 1986, more than 1,300 NHL draft picks have played, including 11 of the last 14 first-overall selections (Ilya Kovalchuk, 2001; Rick Nash, 2002; Marc-André Fleury, 2003; Alexander Ovechkin, 2004; Erik Johnson, 2006; Patrick Kane, 2007; John Tavares, 2009; Taylor Hall, 2010; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 2011; Nathan MacKinnon, 2013; Aaron Ekblad, 2014).
The tournament runs Nov. 2 - 8 this year in Sarnia and Lambton, Ontario.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014