Canada’s 2002 World Championship Under 18 Team is comprised of players under 18 years old (born in 1984) whose teams are not playing in either the CHL, Junior A or collegiate playoffs. Seventeen of the 22 players named to Canada’s Under 18 Team are eligible for the 2002 NHL Entry Draft to be held in Toronto in June, 2002. All 22 players come from the Canadian Hockey League, including 9 from the Western Hockey League, 7 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and 6 from the Ontario Hockey League.
« Canadian hockey has had a great start to 2002 with gold medals for the men’s and women’s teams at the Winter Olympics and a silver medal at the World Juniors,” said Pelino. “Canada’s Under 18 Team hopes to make the whole country proud once again at the World Championship.”
Canada will be taking part in the IIHF World Under 18 Championship for the first time ever in 2002. The IIHF World Under 18 Hockey Championship mars the second event of the season for Canada’s National Under 18 Program. In August, 2001, Canada’s National Under 18 Summer Team won a gold medal at the 2001 Six Nations Under 18 Cup in the Czech Republic.
The 2002 IIHF World Under 18 Championship in Slovakia will feature 12 teams. Russia captured the 2001 Championship on April 22, 2001 in Finland, by defeating Switzerland in the final.
Canada’s Under 18 Team will be led by Head Coach Mike Pelino, and assistant coaches Richard Liboiron (Moncton, QMJHL) and Bob Lowes (Regina, WHL).
Player evaluation and selection was overseen by the CHA’s Director of Scouting, Barry Trapp. Trapp worked in consultation with an advisory board made up of six CHL general managers: Sherry Bassin (Erie), Raymond Bolduc (Québec), Ken Hodge (Portland), Kelly McCrimmon (Brandon), Serge Savard (Montreal) and Jeff Twohey (Peterborough), three regional scouts, Jim Currie (West), Jim Cassidy (Ontario) and Serge Aubry (Quebec) and the coaching staff.
Canada’s Roster
1 Harding, Josh G R/D 6’01 170 06/18/84 Regina, SK Regina (WHL)
31 Daigneault, Maxime G L/G 6’01 195 01/23/84 St-Jacques-le-Mineur, QC Val
d’Or (LHJMQ)
2 Egener, Mike D L/G 6’03 190 09/26/84 Calgary, AB Calgary (WHL)
3 Schlenker, Chris D L/G 6’02 185 06/09/84 Medicine Hat, AB Regina (WHL)
4 Sanford, James D L/G 5’08 180 06/18/84 Alma, NB Moncton (LHJMQ)
5 Benoit, André D L/G 5’10 185 01/06/84 St-Albert, ON Kitchener (OHL)
6 Boychuk, John D R/D 6’02 205 01/19/84 Edmonton, AB Calgary (WHL)
8 Ruggeri, Rosario D L/G 6’01 208 06/08/84 Montréal, QC Chicoutimi (LHJMQ)
21 Card, Ryan D L/G 6’01 180 02/18/84 Bancroft, ON Peterborough (OHL)
9 Stanley, Dylan F/A R/D 5’10 163 01/24/84 Edmonton, AB Tri-Cities (WHL)
10 Courcelles, Sébastien F/A L/G 5’11 185 11/19/84 Rosemere, QC Sherbrooke
(LHJMQ)
11 Henrich, Adam F/A L/G 6’04 214 01/19/84 Thornhill, ON Brampton (OHL)
12 Eager, Ben F/A L/G 6’02 201 01/22/84 Ottawa, ON Oshawa (OHL)
14 Trudell, Brett F/A R/D 6’02 195 02/15/84 Windsor, ON Sault Ste. Marie
(OHL)
15 Keller, Ryan F/A R/D 5’10 175 01/06/84 Saskatoon, SK Saskatoon (WHL)
17 Lukin, Jarret F/A L/G 5’09 170 01/24/84 Fort McMurray, AB Kamloops (WHL)
19 Bouchard, Pierre-Marc F/A L/G 5’10 150 04/27/84 Boucherville, QC
Chicoutimi (LHJMQ)
20 Staal, Eric F/A L/G 6’01 160 10/29/84 Thunder Bay, ON Peterborough (OHL)
22 O’Malley, Brett F/A R/D 5’11 168 03/14/84 Stettler, AB Lethbridge (WHL)
23 Filewich, Jonathan F/A R/D 6’02 185 10/02/84 Sherwood Park, AB Prince
George (WHL)
25 Martin, Louis-Philippe F/A R/D 5’11.5 165 10/02/84 St-Jérôme, QC
Baie-Comeau (LHJMQ)
26 Lambert, Michaël F/A L/G 6’02 165 03/10/84 Cap-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Montréal (LHJMQ)
