Two members of the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy’s U18 midget squad will head to Calgary at the end of the month for the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup.
Centre Tyler Benson, the first overall choice of the Vancouver Giants in the WHL bantam draft, will play for Team Alberta.
Defenceman Ralph Jarratt, the 37th pick of the Victoria Royals, will play for Team B.C.
Benson, an Edmonton native, currently leads the POE team and is tied for the scoring lead in the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) with four goals, six assists for 10 points in just five games. The 5-foot-11 and 185-pound forward is also the leading the team in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) scoring race and is third in the league with nine goals and 10 assists in eight games.
Jarratt has started the year strong, anchoring the defense of the U-18 team and helping POE to a 4-1 record in the NAPHL and a 9-3 record in the CSSHL. He has played in five NAPHL games contributing one assist and 9 CSSHL games chipping in with a goal and four assists.
“POE is very excited for the great opportunity these two players have to play at an elite level against elite players” said POE U-18 head coach Ryan Wade. “It will be a great asset for our team for both of these players to bring back the experience they gain from this competition and we wish both of them the best of luck in bringing home the gold.”
Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup will be played Oct. 30 to Nov. 4.
