Christmas comes early for Lipon
JC Lipon’s first Christmas away from Regina promises to be a special one.
The Regina product and star with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers was one of 23 players selected to the Canadian world junior team on Thursday. The selection means Lipon will be spending Christmas in Ufa, Russia, as a member of Canada’s team at the 2013 IIHF world junior hockey championship.
“It should be pretty crazy, but my parents (Jason and Shelley) are coming to Russia and that should make it pretty special,’’ the 19-year-old Lipon said Thursday from Calgary, site of the Canadian junior team selection camp.
A total of 36 players arrived in Calgary on Monday for the selection camp. The prospects had one practice, one intrasquad game and two exhibition games to prove themselves, if they weren’t among the five players cut on Wednesday. The compressed schedule meant Lipon had to be prepared for an extended period on the road if he was named to the world junior team. Lipon and the Canadian team are to leave Saturday for a training camp in Finland that includes two pre-tournament games in Helsinki.
“They supply us with most of the stuff that we need,’’ said Lipon, one of 13 forwards selected. “I already had my holiday clothes packed, so I guess I’ll have to get them shipped back home.’’
The first series of cuts took place after Wednesday’s 4-1 loss to the University of Alberta.
Derrick Pouliot, a Weyburn product and a defence man with the Portland Winter hawks, was among the five players who were cut Wednesday. Eight players were released Thursday after the world junior team defeated a squad of Albertabased CIS players 2-0.
Lipon said he followed the news about the cuts on Twitter while in his Calgary hotel room. He was pleased to hear the knock on his door.
“They knocked on my door and TSN was there and everything else,’’ Lipon said. “I was actually in my boxers. It’s still pretty cool because I’m sitting here with all of the media. It’s huge.’’
Lipon is one of five representatives from the WHL, including Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Morgan Rielly, who have been named to the national team. The other WHL players are defenceman Griffin Reinhart (Edmonton Oil Kings) and Tyler Wother spoon (Portland) and forward Ty Rattie (Portland). The OHL led the way with 11 players on the world junior team.
Lipon, whose lone experience with a national team was at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, is second in scoring in the WHL with 57 points (22 goals and 35 assists) in 36 games. Colin Smith, Lipon’s teammate with the Blazers, leads the WHL with 61 points (25 goals and 36 assists) in 36 games. Lipon’s performance means he’s the first Regina product to crack the national-team roster since Jordan Eberle in 2010.
“It has been pretty surreal with everyone contacting me,’’ Lipon said. “It’s really a dream come true. I’ve never been to anything like this before and it’s pretty cool.’’
Canada opens the tournament on Dec. 26 against Finland.