Two weeks after his Tri-City Americans were eliminated from the Western Hockey League playoffs, Parker Wotherspoon is in Switzerland skating for Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s U18 World Championships.
The 17-year-old, who played his minor hockey in Cloverdale, is among seven defencemen with Team Canada at the 10-team tournament which runs April 16-26 in Zug and Lucerne, Switzerland.
“This is awesome for Parker, he has earned this opportunity by having an exceptional season,” said Americans general manager Bob Tory. “This experience will benefit him tremendously going forward in his pursuit of a professional career.”
Canada won the first of four preliminary round games 11-6 over Latvia on Thursday. Wotherspoon contributed with a pair of assists.
He had another helper in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Switzerland, then netted his first goal of the tournament in a 3-2 victory over the Czech Republic.
Canada won their fourth game in a row Tuesday morning, scoring three goals in a seven-minute span in the second period for a 3-2 win over Finland.
Wotherspoon is ranked 43rd among North American skaters for the National Hockey League Entry Draft in June. He completed second season with the Americans as their leading scorer among defenders with nine goals and 42 points. He added an assist in four playoff games, after which the Americans were eliminated in straight games by the Kelowna Rockets.
He tallied twice and added 16 assists in his rookie season in 2013-14, and is projected to be a third-round selection in the Entry Draft.
Canada face off against Sweden in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs tomorrow (Thursday).
