World juniors
Waterloo buddies heading to world junior hockey selection camp
KITCHENER — They grew up playing hockey on local rinks and dreamed about representing Canada at the world junior hockey championships.
Now Waterloo’s Logan Stanley and Boris Katchouk will get a chance to do it together.
The Kitchener Rangers defenceman and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds forward were among 32 players named to Canada’s selection camp roster Wednesday afternoon in Calgary.
“It’s really special to be recognized by your country and have an opportunity to compete for a gold medal,” said Stanley, 19.
Stanley is a Winnipeg Jets first-round draft pick and is enjoying a career season with 22 points in 28 games with the Rangers.
Katchouk is a second-round pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning and led the Greyhounds with 23 goals in 27 games, heading into Wednesday’s action.
Both players were teammates in Waterloo minor hockey and represented Canada at the Under-18 world championships last year.
“I’ve known Boris and been best buddies with him since we were little kids,” said Stanley.
“I think he deserves all the success he’s been having this season and I’m really happy we get to go and try and make this team together.”
There were several notable omissions in Wednesday’s announcement with Rangers’ leading scorer Adam Mascherin, London Knights forward Cliff Pu and Mississauga Steelheads winger Owen Tippett among them.
Mascherin’s chances were hurt after the Florida Panthers prospect missed the Canadian development camp this past summer while recovering from off-season shoulder surgery.
Players are set to check into Canada’s selection camp at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines on Monday while on-ice activities start Tuesday.
Hockey Canada staff will evaluate players for four days and watch them compete in a pair of exhibition games against Canadian university all-stars and one versus Denmark before reducing the roster by 10.
Stanley will be competing against nine other defencemen, three of whom are returning from last year’s silver medal squad. At six-foot-seven and 231 pounds, he’ll be the biggest blueliner at camp, which could work to his advantage.
Katchouk will slug it out with 17 other Canadian forwards.
Canada kicks off the tournament on Boxing Day against Finland and will face the United States in an outdoor game Dec. 29 at New Era Field in Orchard Park, N.Y. The medal games run Jan. 5 at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo.