Surrey’s Kyle Chyzowski and fellow 2004-born forward Niall Crocker, a North Delta resident, are among local players named to Team B.C. for the 2019 WHL Cup.
Rosters were announced Wednesday for the western-provinces tournament, to begin Oct. 23 at Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary.
The five-day WHL Cup features the highest-rated U16 players from the provinces of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
CLICK HERE to see all rosters.
Of the 80 players chosen to compete, 77 were selected at the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft.
• RELATED STORY, from May 2019: Surrey’s Reimer goes 18th overall in WHL Bantam Draft.
Chyzowski went 58th overall to Portland, while Crocker, a teammate of his at Delta Hockey Academy, was picked by Prince Albert Raiders at 22nd overall.
“British Columbia will field a strong roster for their title defence, including nine first-round selections from the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft,” notes a WHL press release. “B.C.’s top two selections from May’s draft lead the list of talent for the western-most province, with Mats Lindgren (seventh overall, Kamloops Blazers) and forward Brandon Lisowsky (ninth overall, Saskatoon Blades) leading their respective positions.
“Lindgren will be joined by fellow Blazer prospects Connor Levis (20th overall), Fraser Minten (72nd overall), and Cameron Johnson (86th overall). Kolby Hay (62nd overall, Edmonton Oil Kings) and Kyle Kelsey (107th overall, Moose Jaw Warriors) will tend to the crease.”
Chyzowski, who in 2017 played for the White Rock baseball team that made it all the way to the Little League World Series, is currently on DHA’s 16U team, along with Crocker.
The WHL Cup, formerly known as the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup, has been sponsored since 2009 by the WHL.
The four-team round-robin tourney is considered the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence for players. Previous WHL Cup participants include many current NHL-ers, including B.C.-raised players Morgan Reilly (Toronto Maple Leafs), Jake Virtanen (Vancouver Canucks) and Mathew Barzal (New York Islanders).
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