By / MIKE BEASLEY
The coaches and players on the Russian National Junior team can say goodbye to a solid night’s sleep for the next little while.
After getting a hold of the Ontario Hockey League roster they’ll face in the upcoming ADT Canada/Russia challenge, you can be sure that the star studded list of Canadian players will be keeping the Russians up at night trying to figure out a way of competing with them.
Twenty-two players were named to Team OHL as the two squads prepare to meet for the fifth consecutive year.
The six-game Canada-wide series will start in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League followed by a pair in the OHL concluding with another two games in the Western Hockey League.
Over the years, the cross-country tour has developed into a formal audition for national team candidates in front of Hockey Canada’s decision makers. The City of Kitchener (November 22) and the City of Sudbury (November 26) will play host to the two Ontario league games.
“These two games will give the OHL players the opportunity to show what they can do against international competition,” said Craig Hartsburg, head coach of the Sault Ste. Mare Greyhounds who will also serve as head coach of Team OHL and the National junior team.
“The games are part of the process to push our national team,” Hartsburg explained during a conference call to announce the team in late October. “The process started with the Super Series back in August and September and carries on with the ADT series. Everybody will be under the microscope to be selected to attend our main camp in December.”
Team OHL was selected by Allan Miller, GM of the Sarnia Sting, Jeff Twohey, GM of the Peterborough Petes along with Al Murray head scout with Hockey Canada for the Canadian National Junior team.
Hartsburg will have Peter DeBoer, GM and head coach of the Kitchener Rangers by his side for the November 22 game and Mike Foligno, Wolves GM and head coach will help out behind the bench for the November 26 game in Sudbury.
“The Sudbury Wolves organization is extremely proud to be hosting a game of this calibre,” said Foligno. “The fans in Sudbury are really looking forward to the game. It will be a great experience for the players in what I expect should be a very competitive game.”
Six OHL players are holdovers from the recent Canada-Russia Super Series that saw the Canadians thoroughly dominate the Russians over the eight games finishing 7-0-1.
G Steve Mason (London Knights), D Drew Doughty (Guelph Storm), Josh Godfrey (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds), and forwards John Tavares (Oshawa Generals), Stefan Legein (Niagara IceDogs) and Cory Emmerton (Kingston Frontenacs) will see action against the Russians for the second time in less than three months as they continue their bid to win a spot on the roster as Canada goes for a fourth consecutive gold medal at the 2008 World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic.
“We (OHL coaching staff and Team Canada scouts) plan on evaluating the players after every game and will select the ones that will help Canada win,” said DeBoer. “Even after winning the Super Series back in early September there were still jobs to be won, there are positions available on our national team.”
The following are the two Team OHL rosters that will take to the ice on November 22nd and 26th, 2007:
Game 1: Kitchener
November 22, 2007
Forwards:
Luca Caputi, Niagara IceDogs
Jamie McGinn, Ottawa 67’s
Nick Spaling, Kitchener Rangers
Josh Bailey, Windsor Spitfires
John Tavares, Oshawa Generals
Cory Emmerton, Kingston Frontenacs
Wayne Simmonds, Owen Sound Attack
Logan Couture, Ottawa 67’s
Justin Azevedo, Kitchener Rangers
Stefan Legein, Niagara IceDogs
Matt Halischuk, Kitchener Rangers
Brett MacLean, Oshawa Generals
Dale Mitchell, Oshawa Generals
Defence:
Tyler Cuma, Ottawa 67’s
Michael Del Zotto, Oshawa Generals
Michael D’Orazio, Owen Sound Attack
John DeGray, Brampton Battalion
Drew Doughty, Guelph Storm
Alex Pietrangelo, Niagara IceDogs
Matt Corrente, Niagara IceDogs
Goaltenders:
Trevor Cann, Peterborough Petes
Steve Mason, London Knights
Game 2: SUDBURY
November 26, 2007
Forwards:
Matt Beleskey, Belleville Bulls
Logan Couture, Ottawa 67’s
Nick Spaling, Kitchener Rangers
Chris Terry, Plymouth Whalers
John Tavares, Oshawa Generals
Cory Emmerton, Kingston Frontenacs
Shawn Mathias, Belleville Bulls
Steven Stamkos, Sarnia Sting
Dustin Jeffrey, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Stefan Legein, Niagara IceDogs
Matt Halischuk, Kitchener Rangers
Bryan Cameron, Belleville Bulls
Brett MacLean, Oshawa Generals
Defence:
Tyler Cuma, Ottawa 67’s
Marc Katic, Sarnia Sting
Shawn Lalonde, Belleville Bulls
Josh Godfrey, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Drew Doughty, Guelph Storm
Alex Pietrangelo, Niagara IceDogs
P.K. Subban, Belleville Bulls
Goaltenders:
Trevor Cann, Peterborough Petes
Steve Mason, London Knights |