HOCKEY CANADA ANNOUNCES CANADA’S NATIONAL SLEDGE TEAM ROSTER FOR 2016-17 SEASON

Hockey Canada will ice a more youthful National Sledge Team this season; the 19-player roster who will wear the storied logo in international competition in 2016-17 was revealed on Saturday.

The selections were made by head coach Ken Babey (Saskatoon, Sask./Hockey Canada), based on an intense, five-day selection camp held at Calgary’s Markin MacPhail Centre this week featuring 29 players from across Canada including Corbin Watson of Kingsville, Ontario.

“Selection camp is always an intense time for players and staff – we have a very tight schedule, and a short window to work with, but I was very impressed with how everyone handled the pressure. To a tee, each and every one of the players who arrived here last Sunday carried themselves with the poise and professionalism that I expect from a Team Canada player, and that provides us, as a coaching and management staff, a great sense of pride to witness,” said Babey. “In the end, all of them will take away some level of growth and development from the experience. And for the 19 who were selected to represent Canada as part of the National Sledge Team, I want them to take a few days to enjoy this hard-won accomplishment before we resume our preparation for this season’s events.”

Among the youth movement are two players born in 2000 – forwards James Dunn (Wallacetown, Ont.) and Zach Savage (Westlock, Alta.) – as well as several others who are in their early twenties, including Rob Armstrong (Erin, Ont.), Tyrone Henry (Ottawa), and Kevin Sorley (Petersburg, Ont.) on defence, and forwards Dominic Cozzolino (Mississauga, Ont.), Ben Delaney (Ottawa), and Tyler McGregor (Forest, Ont.).

The speed and skill of the youngsters will be balanced with high-skilled experience from returning veterans such as Paralympic gold-medallists and world champions Brad Bowden (Orton, Ont.), Billy Bridges (Summerside, P.E.I.), and Greg Westlake (Oakville, Ont.) to set Canada’s National Sledge Team on a path to compete against the best countries in the world.

Westlake resumes his role as team captain, which he first assumed in the 2011-2012 season. He will be assisted full-time by McGregor, while Adam Dixon (Midland, Ont.) and Bryan Sholomicki (Winnipeg) will split duties as assistants.