Vees’ trio earns tryout for World Junior A Challenge
Three members of the Penticton Vees — all defencemen — have been invited to the Team Canada West selection camp Dec. 2-5 in Calgary for the World Junior A (Under-19) Challenge.
Jonny Tychonick, Ryan O’Connell and Luke Reid have been invited to earn spots on the team for the WJAC, slated for Dec. 10-16 in Truro, Nova Scotia.
The annual event features six teams — Canada West, Canada East, U.S., Russia, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. Tychonick, from Calgary, was a member of last year’s team that finished in fifth place. In four games at the event in Bonnyville, Alta., Tychonick recorded a goal and an assist.
This season with the Vees, the 17-year-old Tychonick has five goals and 19 points. He is committed to the University of North Dakota for next season.
O’Connell, from Gloucester, Ont., is in his first season with the Vees after making the jump from Canadian high-school hockey at St. Andrews College. O’Connell has played in 20 games with the Vees so far this season and has produced three goals and 13 points.
The 1999-born defenceman was a seventhround draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2017 NHL draft, and is committed to Boston University for next season.
Reid, from Warman, Sask., is also in his first season with Penticton after spending the last two years with the Battlefords Stars in the Saskatchewan Midget League. The 2001-born defender has a goal and nine points in 19 games with the Vees. Like Tychonick, Reid is committed to attend North Dakota in the future.
In November, Reid was a member of Team Canada Black at the World U17 Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John. He was held pointless in five games as Canada Black finished out of the medal round.
The Vees have had at least one player represent Canada West at the WJAC every year the tournament has run since 2005-06.
Other BCHL players invited to the Canada West camp include:
Goalies: Mitch Adamyk (Powell River Kings), Ty Taylor (Vernon Vipers) and Reid Cooper (Salmon Arm Silverbacks).
Defencemen: Jack Judson (Vernon), Seth Barton (Trail Smoke Eaters), Austin Chorney (Salmon Arm), Powell Connor (Chilliwack Chiefs), Max Crozier (Nanaimo Clippers).
Forwards: Harrison Blaisdell, Will Calverley, Corey Andonovski and Skyler Brind’Amour (Chilliwack); Ross Armour and Levi Glasman (Trail); Brendan Budy and Angus Crookshank (Langley Rivermen); Ethan de Jong and Kyle Johnson (Prince George Spruce Kings); Alex Newhook and Jamie Rome (Victoria Grizzlies); Brett Stapley (Vernon), Chase Stevenson (West Kelowna Warriors), Carter Turnbull (Powell River) and Rylan Van Unen (Merritt Centennials).
Merritt head coach Joe Martin will serve as an assistant coach, Merritt’s Jamie McCaig will be the goaltending coach and Surrey Eagles head coach Brandon West will serve as a guest coach.
Mike Reagan of the Flin Flon Bombers is head coach of the Canada West team.
TYCHONICK TOPS WATCH LIST: The 17-year-old Vees defenceman — coming off a four-assist outing on Saturday — is one of only three Canadian Junior Hockey League players rated as “B” prospects on NHL Central Scouting’s updated Players to Watch list.
Wenatchee Wild blueliner Stanislav Demin and Toronto Jr. Canadians centre Jack McBain are the only other “B” rated prospects, which makes them potential second- or third-round selections in the 2018 NHL draft in Dallas in June.
Fifteen other CJHL players are “C” rated prospects, making them possible fourth-, fifth- or sixth-round candidates.
BCHL players listed as “C” prospects are Langley’s Brendan Budy and Angus Crookshank; Chilliwack’s Powell Connor, Vernon’s Brett Stapley, Nanaimo’s Max Crozier and Trail’s Seth Barton.
The majority of these players will likely be selected to compete in the annual CJHL Prospects Game, which will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018 in Port Credit, Ont.
BUSY WEEK FOR VEES: The Vees have yet another three-game week ahead, starting with a challenging visit to Trail to take on the Interior Division-leading Smoke Eaters on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Trail (19-5-1), leads the Vernon Vipers by one point with a game in hand.
The Vees (14-5-1-2), now riding a four-game winning streak, are eight points behind Trail with three games in hand, and seven behind Vernon with four games in hand.
The Vees also have two home games on the weekend, facing the Salmon Arm Silverbacks Friday at 7 p.m., and the Chilliwack Chiefs Saturday at 6 p.m. in a rematch of last year’s BCHL final won by the Vees in seven games.