Cholowski invited to world junior camp
Dennis Cholowski knew he was on Hockey Canada’s radar. As a first-round NHL draft pick playing what will likely be his one and only season in the WHL with the Prince George Cougars, it was no surprise Wednesday when Cholowski was invited to the Canadian under-20 national team world junior camp, which starts next week in St. Catharines, Ont.
He’s been everything the Cougars expected when he arrived in camp, having signed a pro contract this past summer with the Detroit Red Wings, the team that picked him 20th overall in the 2016 draft.
Cholowski will join 31 other players and nine other defencemen at the camp, which starts next Tuesday and runs through Friday. He’s among 13 Western Hockey League players on the invitation list announced Wednesday afternoon.
“Hopefully I can make the team, said Cholowski, the Cougars’ captain. “It’s one of my main goals this year and hopefully I can get it done.
“My confidence is up. I’m skating around and making plays and hopefully that’s what got me an invite.”
Cholowski is on a point-pergame pace this season, with eight goals and 16 assists in 24 games, and ranks third in team scoring. He has a plus-five rating and has scored three power-play goals, second on the team only to winger Kody McDonald, who has five.
Cholowski has points in seven of his last nine games heading into Sunday’s game against the Victoria Royals. He will leave for Ontario the day after that game.
“We’re excited for Dennis and the opportunity for him to hopefully represent the Cougars and Canada at the world juniors,” said Cougars general manager Todd Harkins.
“He’s not only one of our top players but also a great leader inside our dressing room. Dennis is a special talent and we couldn’t be happier to see him get the recognition he deserves.”
Team Canada, which lost in a shootout to the United States in the final of the 2017 world junior championship in Buffalo, begins its world title quest with two ex- hibition games against a U Sports (Canadian university) team next Tuesday and Wednesday and will play another exhibition against Denmark on Thursday, Dec. 15.
Canada will also face the Czech Republic and Switzerland in pretournament play before opening the tournament on Boxing Day against Finland. The 2018 tournament will be played in Buffalo.
Cougars winger Vladimir Mikhalchuk, 18, has already made Team Belarus for the WJHC. He is expected to join his national teammates in Buffalo following the Cougars’ game in Everett on Dec. 16. — see page 8 for related story and page 9 for full list
of invited players
Dennis is a special talent and we couldn’t be happier to see him get the recognition he deserves. — Todd Harkins