Three Kelowna Rockets are within one step of representing their country later this year in Buffalo.
Dillon Dube, Kole Lind and Cal Foote are among 31 players who have been invited by Hockey Canada to attend the national junior team’s final selection camp next week in St. Catharines, ON.
Twenty-two players will make up Canada’s final roster for the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship beginning Boxing Day in Buffalo, NY.
Of the other 28 players shortlisted, two have played on B.C. teams; Dennis Cholowski was born in Langley and played BCHL in Chilliwack, while Dante Fabbro played in Penticton.
“We’re excited for all three guys,” said Rockets’ president and GM Bruce Hamilton. “Just the honour of being invited to camp is pretty fulfilling for all three.
“It’s good for us as an organization as well,” he added, “although it puts us in a challenging spot losing three of our best players on arguably the toughest part of our schedule, but we go through this every year.”
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Dube is looking to make Canada’s roster for the second year in a row. The 19-year-old forward played for Canada last year at world juniors, collecting three assists in seven games and bringing home a silver medal. Dube is having a stellar season with Kelowna so far, leading the team through 25 games with 36 points.
The Calgary Flames draft pick was named captain of Team WHL for the CIBC Canada Russia Series where he led all three CHL teams against the Russians, with two goals and five points in two games, tying an event record for points by a WHL player.
Rockets Captain Cal Foote will make his first appearance at the selection camp. This season the Tampa Bay Lightning first-rounder leads Kelowna defencemen in goals (6) and points (26). Foote also played for Team WHL in the CIBC Canada Russia Series, finishing with four penalty minutes in two games.
Lind will also make his first appearance at the selection camp. He recently missed six games due to illness, but prior to that was leading the Rockets’ in scoring. He still sits second in team scoring with 34 points, including 12 goals in 21 games. The Vancouver Canucks’ prospect also played in the CIBC Canada Russia Series where he posted two goals and an assist for three points in two games.
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