Team Alberta Wins Silver At Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup

Team Alberta U16 Male won silver at the 2012 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup after falling to Team British Columbia by a score of 9-3 in the gold medal game on Sunday afternoon.

Team Alberta finished the tournament with a 2-1-1 record posting 17 goals for and allowing 14 goals against.

Team Alberta goaltender, Zachary Sawchenko (Calgary, AB) and forwards Braylon Shmyr (Calgary, AB) and Nick Merkley (Calgary, AB) were named tournament All-Stars.

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The game marked the third time Team Alberta found itself in the gold medal game at this tournament. Team Alberta won gold in the inaugural event in 2009 in Blackfalds, Alberta and gold at last year’s event in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

Team Saskatchewan beat Team Manitoba 2-1 to win the bronze medal earlier in the day.

The Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup is a partnership between the four Western Provincial Hockey Branches - Hockey Alberta, BC Hockey, Hockey Manitoba and the Saskatchewan Hockey Association - and the Western Hockey League (WHL). The event only occurs in the off years of the Canada Winter Games.

The event features the highest rated players in the Under 16 age category representing the four Western Provinces of Alberta, BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup is the final event in the first year of the Team Alberta Male program. Selected players then advance to the second year of the program (U17) where they compete for a roster spot on Team Pacific.

Former Team Alberta players include 2011 WHL Rookie of the Year, Matt Dumba, and NHL’ers Jordan Eberle, Jay Bouwmeester, Devan Dubnyk, Devin Setoguchi and Tyler Myers.

ATB Financial is the title sponsor of all Team Alberta programs, including the ATB Alberta Cup and the ATB Alberta Challenge. The Team Alberta Male Program is a two year progression for elite athletes that begins at the ATB Alberta Cup, a U15 age level event, and progresses to the U17 age level. The Team Alberta Female Program is a two year progression for elite athletes that begins at the ATB Alberta Challenge, a U16 age level event, and progresses to the U18 age level. Team Alberta programs feed into Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence.

Hockey Alberta and BC Hockey announced Thursday, November 15, 2012 the 22-player roster that will represent Team Pacific at the 2013 World Junior Under 17 Hockey Challenge, December 29, 2012 to January 4, 2013 in Victoriaville/Drummondville, Quebec.

Team Pacific is comprised of 11 players from BC and 11 players from Alberta. Hockey Alberta and BC Hockey each identified 34 U17 male athletes (4 G, 12 D, 18 F) from their respective provincial evaluation camps to participate in the joint regional camp in July, 2012. From the regional camp, these players were evaluated during the first part of their club’s team season by the Team Pacific evaluators.

“With this being the first year of the combined regional camp, it made for a unique evaluation process,” said Team Pacific Head Coach Jason Becker. “Wade Klippenstein, the Pacific region head scout, has done a great job in creating a fair and positive evaluation process.”

“Wade and his staff have done a terrific job evaluating every kid, getting the reports done and giving the coaches the best information possible to help us create the team we wanted,” added Becker. “They have done all the ground work and now it will be up to the Team Pacific staff to put together the best team possible on the ice.”

The 2013 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge brings together the top players in the world born 1996 or later. The tournament is made up of 10 teams; five (5) from Canada - Quebec, Ontario, Pacific (Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon), Atlantic (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island) and West (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nunavut) and five (5) international teams.

Team Pacific will be competing in Group A at the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge with Team West, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Group B will comprise of Slovakia, the United States, Ontario, Team Atlantic and Quebec. Team Pacific will play an exhibition game against the United States on December 28, 2012 before they play their first preliminary round contest against defending gold medallist Russia on December 29, 2012.

At the 2012 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge in Windsor, Ontario, Team Pacific finished in fifth place after defeating Quebec five (5) to four (4) in overtime.

Team Pacific has included some of the top hockey players that Canada has ever produced. Some notable graduates who have competed on Team Pacific include:

• Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 2010
• Evander Kane, 2008
• Brent Seabrook, 2002
• Dion Phaneuf, 2002
• Mike Green, 2002
• Jarome Iginla, 1994

• Joe Sakic, 1986

The Under 17 program is the first stop in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence. Many players who compete at the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge go on to represent Canada with the National Men’s Under 18 Team, National Junior Team and National Men’s Team.

For more information about Hockey Alberta, please visit the Hockey Alberta website at www.hockeyalberta.ca

Team Alberta U18 Female finished seventh at the 2012 National Women’s U18 Championship after defeating Team Atlantic on Saturday morning.

Team Alberta finished the tournament with a 2-2 record posting 12 goals for and allowing 10 goals against. Player of the game honors throughout the tournament went to Samantha Sutherland, Hannah Olenyk, Taryn Baumgardt and Ashley Morin.

While the team was full of talent they struggled to bring their high level of intensity as individuals together as a cohesive unit. 

“To end Nationals on a positive note is definitely a good thing, naturally we would have liked that positive finish to have been one higher in the rankings, but we have a great group of girls who I know will learn and grow from this experience,” said Hockey Alberta’s Manager Hockey Development, Michael Kraichy.

Ontario Blue defeated Team Manitoba 4 - 2 to claim Gold and Silver, while Ontario Red defeated Team BC to claim the Bronze medal for the final results of this year’s National Championship.

Team Alberta will not get its chance at redemption until November 2013 when the U18 Nationals is hosted again, location still yet to be determined.

The National Women’s U18 Championship brings together the top female talent from across Canada. The event is held every year except when the Canada Winter Games are held (every four years).

U18 Female is the final stage of the Team Alberta Female Program and one of the initial stages that Hockey Canada uses to help identify players for the National Program.

ATB Financial is the title sponsor of all Team Alberta programs, including the ATB Alberta Cup and the ATB Alberta Challenge. The Team Alberta Male Program is a two year progression for elite athletes that begins at the ATB Alberta Cup, a U15 age level event, and progresses to the U17 age level. The Team Alberta Female Program is a two year progression for elite athletes that begins at the ATB Alberta Challenge, a U16 age level event, and progresses to the U18 age level. Team Alberta programs feed into Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence.

Team Alberta U18 Female begins game action on Wednesday at the 2012 National Women’s Under-18 Championship when they face Team Manitoba at 10:00am MST. The competition runs November 7-11 in Dawson Creek, British Columbia.

Prior to the tournament, Team Alberta staff announced the captains for the competition:

Captain - Eden Murray (Medicine Hat, AB)

Assistant Captains – Sydney Smith (Lethbridge, AB), Cassandra Vilgrain (Calgary, AB), Samantha Sutherland (Cochrane, AB), Taryn Baumgardt (Innisfail, AB)

The National Women’s U18 Championship brings together the top female talent from across Canada. The event is held every year except when the Canada Winter Games are held (every four years). Last year, Team Alberta finished seventh after failing to reach the semifinals due to a tiebreaker following the round robin.

Of the 20 athletes, 12 are returning from the team that played at the 2011 National Women’s U18 Championship in Saguenay, Quebec.

U18 Female is the final stage of the Team Alberta Female Program and one of the initial stages that Hockey Canada uses to help identify players for the National Program.

Team Alberta U16 Male begins game action today when they take on Team BC at the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup, which runs November 1-4 in Calgary, Alberta at the Father David Bauer Arena.

Team Alberta staff also announced the team captains for the competition:

Captain – Cam Reagan (Sherwood Park, AB)

Assistant Captains – Mason McCarty (Blackie, AB), Matteo Gennaro (St. Albert, AB)

Alternates – Nick Merkley (Calgary, AB), Giorgio Estephan (Edmonton, AB)

Team Alberta is the two-time defending Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup champion after they successfully defended their 2009 title and defeated Team Manitoba 10-4 in the gold medal game at the 2011 event. The Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup only occurs in the off years of the Canada Winter Games.

The event features the highest rated players in the Under 16 age category representing the four Western Provinces of Alberta, BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Schedule:

Thursday, November 1
Game #1 - Saskatchewan @ Manitoba - 3:30pm
Game #2 - British Columbia @ Alberta - 7:00pm

Friday, November 2
Game #3 - British Columbia @ Saskatchewan - 11:30am
Game #4 - Alberta @ Manitoba - 3:00pm

Saturday, November 3
Game #5 - Saskatchewan @ Alberta - 11:30am
Game #6 - Manitoba @ British Columbia - 7:00pm

Sunday, November 4
Game #7 - BRONZE MEDAL GAME (3rd Place vs 4th Place) - 9:30am
Game #8 - GOLD MEDAL GAME (1st Place vs 2nd Place) - 1:00pm

The Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup is a partnership between the four Western Provincial Hockey Branches - Hockey Alberta, BC Hockey, Hockey Manitoba and the Saskatchewan Hockey Association – and the Western Hockey League (WHL).

The Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup is the final event in the first year of the Team Alberta Male program. Selected players then advance to the second year of the program (U17) where they compete for a roster spot on Team Pacific.

Former Team Alberta players include 2011 WHL Rookie of the Year, Matt Dumba, and NHL’ers Jordan Eberle, Jay Bouwmeester, Devan Dubnyk, Devin Setoguchi and Tyler Myers.  

ATB Financial is the title sponsor of all Team Alberta programs, including the ATB Alberta Cup and the ATB Alberta Challenge. The Team Alberta Male Program is a two year progression for elite athletes that begins at the ATB Alberta Cup, a U15 age level event, and progresses to the U17 age level. The Team Alberta Female Program is a two year progression for elite athletes that begins at the ATB Alberta Challenge, a U16 age level event, and progresses to the U18 age level. Team Alberta programs feed into Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence.