Dean will play in U17 Challenge; Mercer chosen for Canada-russia Series
Mount Pearl’s Zach Dean will play in next month’s World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
The 16-year-old Dean, in his first season with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Gatineau Olympiques, has been named as one of 66 players who will represent Canada at the international tourney Nov. 2-9 in Medicine Hat, Alta., and Swift Current, Sask.
The 66 players will be divided into three teams – Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red and Team Canada White – that will compete against the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the United States.
Dean and the other 65 players were selected from a group of 112 who participated in the
summertime national U17 development camp .
The fivefoot-11, 160pound Dean was Gatineau’s first pick, fourth overall, in the June QMJHL draft. He has four goals and five points in the Olympiques’ first 10 games.
Dean isn’t the only Newfoundlander playing in the QMJHL who was selected for an international competition on Tuesday. Dawson Mercer of Bay Roberts was named to the QMJHL team that will play two games against Russian juniors early next month.
The match-ups, Nov. 4 in Saint John, N.B., and Nov. 5 in Moncton, N.B., are part of the six-game CIBC Canada-russia Series that also involves all-star entries from the Ontario and Western junior leagues.
Mercer, who turns 18 in 10 days, has eight goals and seven assists through the Drummondville Voltigeurs’ first 10 games this season. He is considered one of the QMJHL’S top-rated players for the 2020 National Hockey League Entry Draft.