BC Hockey announced its under-16 roster for the 2015 Canada Winter Games Feb.13, 2015 – March 1, in Prince George.
The 20-player roster includes Penticton’s Ethan O’Rourke of the Okanagan Hockey Academy. Also on the roster from the OHA are goalie Jordan Hollett, defencemen Griffin Mendel, Scott Walford and forwards Jordan Bellerive, Michael Rasmussen. Jordan Robinson, Brendan Semchuk and Chase Stevenson. Also named to the team is B.C. Hockey Now player of the year Justin Almeida of the Cariboo Cougars in the B.C. Major Midget League.
“The Team BC evaluation staff has put on thousands of miles and countless hours to get to this place in our journey, but after looking at our completed roster, I am extremely excited at challenge that lies ahead,” said Team BC head coach Jim Didwoodie in a release. “Hearing the excitement in the boys’ voices after making the calls today makes the whole process worth it.
“Our roster has depth in all three areas with elite level skill and a very high hockey IQ,” continued Didwoodie. “You can see the depth in our roster. Our challenge will be to bring them together and have a singular focus on competing for gold. We now have to focus on the task at hand and our preparation to compete for gold in our home province in front of our fans in Prince George. We are hoping this extra motivation will help us get there.”
Team BC is looking for back-to-back gold medals at this years’ Canada Winter Games. In 2011, the team captured gold with a 5–2 win over Team Ontario in Halifax, N.S. Last year, Team BC competed at the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup, bringing home the silver from Calgary, Alberta.
The Canada Winter Games takes place every four (4) years and features the highest rated players in the U16 age category representing every province and territory. The 2011 Team BC included players like Curtis Lazar (Vernon), Nic Petan (Abbotsford) and Sam Reinhart (West Vancouver).
Team BC male will compete in the second week of competition at the Canada Winter Games. The competition will begin on February 22, 2015 culminating into the Gold Medal Game on March 1, 2015.
