U Sports’ roster includes Okanagan products

Several university hockey players with ties to the Okanagan have been named to the U Sports All-Star team that will face off against Canada’s world-junior hopefuls during the upcoming selection camp.

Goaltender Jordon Cooke, who backstops the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, is on the U Sports roster. The 24-year-old played four junior seasons with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets and is now in his fourth season with the U of S.

Also on the roster are Jagger Dirk of Penticton, a 24-year-old defenceman for the St. Francis Xavier X-Men who played junior for the Kootenay Ice and is the son of former NHL blueliner Robert Dirk; Cole Sanford of Coldstream, a 22-year-old forward in his second season with the University of Alberta Golden Bears after starring for the Medicine Hat Tigers and Regina Pats; and Cain Franson of Sicamous, a 24-year-old forward for the University of Calgary Dinos, formerly of the Vancouver Giants and the younger brother of NHL defenceman Cody Franson.

Hockey Canada will announce its roster for selection camp on Wednesday, at 10 a.m. PT, with approximately 30 players expected to be invited to audition in St. Catharines, Ont.

A trio of Rockets could be on that list, led by 19-year-old forward Dillon Dube, a returnee from the 2017 team that settled for silver in losing the championship game to the U.S. in a shootout. Kelowna’s captain Cal Foote, a defenceman who turns 19 on Dec. 13, is also a strong candidate for Canada’s world-junior team, while 18-year-old winger Kole Lind put himself on the radar with a strong showing at last month’s Super Series against Russia and could get a second look at selection camp.

The U Sports All-Stars will play two games against the National Junior Team prospects, slated for Dec. 13 at 4 p.m. PT and Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. PT, both in St. Catharines.

The 2018 world-junior tournament begins on Boxing Day (Dec. 26) in Buffalo, with Canada opening against Finland.