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TEAM ATLANTIC ANNOUNCED FOR
2009 WORLD UNDER 17 HOCKEY CHALLENGE
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Saint John, NB - Hockey Canada’s Atlantic Regional Centre, in conjunction with the four Atlantic Hockey Branches have proudly announced the players who will make up the 2009 edition of Team Atlantic.
Team Atlantic is comprised of players from each of the four Atlantic Provinces and will represent Atlantic Canada at the 2009 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge, December 26th to January 5th, in Port Alberni, British Columbia.
“We are extremely excited to name Team Atlantic for the 2009 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge,” stated Ed O’Brien, Director of Hockey Operations for Team Atlantic. “The twenty-two players that have been named to the team today will be great ambassadors on and off the ice for Atlantic Canada and I am sure that they will wear the Canadian Jersey with great pride.”
Team Atlantic will be comprised of seven players from New Brunswick, six from Nova Scotia, five athletes from Prince Edward Island and four players from Newfoundland & Labrador.
Players representing PEI include Morgan Ellis (Ellerslie), Brandon Gormley (Murray River), Spencer MacDonald (Stratford), Brent Andrews (Hunter River) and Josh Currie (Charlottetown).
“We had sixty-six players attend our Summer Evaluation Camp this past July at Acadia University in Wolfville and we knew at that time, that we had the makings of a great hockey team,” commented Jason Tatarnic, Head Coach for Team Atlantic. “When you have players competing to be a part of Team Atlantic, it makes everyone step their game up to the next level. It was not an easy decision to name the twenty-two players that will make up Team Atlantic, but the staff is confident that we have selected a great group of athletes who will represent Team Atlantic very well.”
"It is an exciting day for hockey in Atlantic Canada," stated Trevor Murphy, General Manager for Team Atlantic and Manager of Hockey Canada's Atlantic Regional Centre. "When we look at how this program has progressed over the last number of years, everyone in Atlantic Canada should be proud of the accomplishments that have been made on a National and International stage. Hockey in Atlantic Canada at the grassroots and high performance levels is in very good shape."
Team Atlantic will travel to Port Alberni, British Columbia on December 26th. After practicing on December 27th and playing an exhibition game against Slovakia on December 28th, Team Atlantic will play their first tournament game against Ontario on December 29th. Team Atlantic will also face off against Russia, Germany and Team Pacific in the round robin portion of the event.
This year's edition of the team will be looking to build upon the great things which have been done during the 23 year history of Team Atlantic and continue the tradition of representing Atlantic Canada in a first class fashion on and off the ice.
Prior to their departure for British Columbia, Team Atlantic will gather in Amherst, Nova Scotia from December 20th-23rd for a Pre Event Training Camp.
The Under 17 program is a cornerstone for Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence. It is the first time that players in our country get to put on the Canadian jersey and compete against international teams. The invaluable experience gained by these young men will help them as many will go on to represent Canada at the Under-18s, World Juniors and other international events.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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