Canucks release roster for Young Stars tournament
Plenty of top prospects attending showcase in Penticton this weekend
Blueliners Olli Juolevi and Troy Stecher are among the top prospects who will suit up for the Vancouver Canucks at the Young Stars Classic tournament Friday to Monday at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The four-team, six-game round-robin tournament features the top young prospects from the Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets.
Juolevi, an 18-year-old from Helsinki, Finland, was selected in the first round, fifth overall in the 2016 NHL draft after starring in the Ontario Hockey League with the Memorial Cup champion London Knights.
Stecher, a 22-year-old from Richmond, was signed as a free agent after sparking the University of North Dakota to the NCAA Division 1 championship.
Stecher starred with the Penticton Vees for three seasons, and was a member of the RBC Cup national championship team in 2011-12.
The Canucks have finalized their roster for the tournament, with the other three teams expected to submit their rosters in the next few days.
CANUCKS: Goalies — Thatcher Demko (2nd round 2014), Michael Garteig (former Penticton Vee), and Rylan Parenateau.
Defencemen: Juolevi and Stecher; Guillaume Brisebois, Cole Candella, Olivier Galipeau, Evan McEnemy, Carl Neill, Tate Olson, Ashton Sautner, Mackenzie Stewart.
Forwards: Rodrigo Abois, Michael Carcone, Cole Cassels, Tyler Coulter, Alexis D’Aoust, Joe LaBate, Yan-Pavel Laplante, Kyle Maksimovich, Brett McKenzie, Danny Moynihan, Marc-Olivier Roy, Jakob Stukel, Curtis Valk, Dmitry Zhukenov.
Top players expected to participate from the other teams include:
Winnipeg Jets — Kyle Connor, Logan Stanley, Brendan Lemieux and Jack Roslovic.
Calgary Flames — Matthew Tkachuk, Tyler Parsons and Dillon Dube. Edmonton Oilers — Jesse Puljujärvi, Tyler Benson and Drake Caggiula.
The following is the Young Stars Classic schedule:
Friday: Calgary vs. Winnipeg, 4 p.m.; Edmonton vs. Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Calgary vs. Edmonton, 7:30 p.m. Sunday: Vancouver vs. Winnipeg, 2 p.m. Monday: Edmonton vs. Winnipeg, 11 a.m.; Vancouver vs. Calgary, 3 p.m.
This year’s off-ice festivities include a Canucks Town Hall Breakfast, Minor Hockey Day featuring a Party on the Plaza with games, food, music, entertainment, and skills development camps for B.C. minor hockey players.
Single-game tickets are $15 while doubleheader tickets are $25, available online at ValleyFirstTix.com, by phone at 1-877-7632849 or in person at the SOEC Valley First Box Office.
Doubleheader packages are $110 and include two tickets per game for the Sept. 16 or Sept. 19 doubleheader games (four tickets total), two exclusive 2016 Vancouver Canucks Young Stars Classic baseball hats and a $20 food and beverage voucher (valid at the Valley First Vault Bar & Grill or any of the concession stands).