November 25, 2016
Hockey Canada has announced the tryout rosters for the upcoming 2016 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge. Sixty players from the four Western Junior A leagues have been invited, including 25 from the BCHL.
Sixteen forwards, seven defencemen, and two goalies from the BCHL will be trying out for their chance to play for Team Canada West in the Bonnyville, Alberta-hosted tournament which begins on December 11th.
The tournament, which highlights the best 20-and-under junior ‘A’ talent from across the globe, has become a staple since 2006. NHL and college scouts come out in droves to check out the talent, which has included the likes of Kyle Turris, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Tyson Jost over the years.
Thirteen of the BCHL’s 17 teams are sending players. Five teams are sending three players, two are sending a pair, and six are sending singles.
| BCHL team | F | D | G | Tot. |
| Chilliwack | 3 | – | – | 3 |
| Penticton | – | 3 | – | 3 |
| Powell River | 2 | 1 | – | 3 |
| Surrey | 2 | 1 | – | 3 |
| Trail | 2 | 1 | – | 3 |
| Langley | 1 | 1 | – | 2 |
| Prince George | 2 | – | – | 2 |
| Coquitlam | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Merritt | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Salmon Arm | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Vernon | – | – | 1 | 1 |
| Victoria | 1 | 1 | ||
| Wenatchee | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| Totals | 16 | 7 | 2 | 25 |
The AJHL is sending 14, SJHL 13, and 8 from the MJHL.
The tournament officially begins on December 11th, but pre-tournament games are scheduled on December 9th. Players that are invited to the tryout camp leave the roster of their junior ‘A’ club on December 4th.
By birth year, the invitees look like this: 1997s – 20; 1998s – 30; 1999s – 9 (Grade 12) and 2000 – 1 (d-man Jonny Tychonick of Calgary, playing for Penticton Vees). Click here to see breakdown of all 60 invitees by birth year.
Here’s the breakdown of invitees by position for each of the four leagues.
BCHL
| BCHL FORWARDS | SH | H | W | DoB | Hometown | Current Team |
| Will Calverley | R | 5’10” | 166 | 7/17/98 | Scarborough, Ont. | Chilliwack (BCHL) |
| Jordan Kawaguchi | L | 5’9” | 181 | 5/4/97 | Abbotsford, B.C. | Chilliwack (BCHL) |
| Kohen Olischefski | R | 6’2” | 177 | 2/1/98 | Abbotsford, B.C. | Chilliwack (BCHL) |
| Blake Hayward | L | 6’1” | 195 | 2/11/98 | Vancouver, B.C. | Coquitlam (BCHL) |
| Ryan Barrow | R | 6’2” | 170 | 2/15/97 | Banff, Alta. | Langley (BCHL) |
| Michael Regush | R | 6’1” | 202 | 9/12/98 | Surrey, B.C. | Merritt (BCHL) |
| Kyle Betts | L | 6’1” | 176 | 9/17/97 | Flesherton, Ont. | Powell River (BCHL) |
| Carter Turnbull | R | 5’8” | 169 | 9/8/98 | Nanaimo, B.C. | Powell River (BCHL) |
| Ethan de Jong | R | 5’10” | 165 | 7/12/99 | North Vancouver, B.C. | Prince George (BCHL) |
| Kyle Johnson | R | 5’11” | 180 | 6/3/98 | Port Moody, B.C. | Prince George (BCHL) |
| Marcus Mitchell | L | 6’2” | 186 | 10/12/98 | Kelowna, B.C. | Salmon Arm (BCHL) |
| Desi Burgart | L | 6’1” | 180 | 9/28/98 | Vancouver, B.C. | Surrey (BCHL) |
| Jeff Stewart | L | 6’3” | 175 | 2/23/98 | Surrey, B.C. | Surrey (BCHL) |
| Ross Armour | R | 6’2” | 180 | 2/7/98 | Rossland, B.C. | Trail (BCHL) |
| Kale Howarth | L | 6’5” | 207 | 6/10/97 | Red Deer, Alta. | Trail (BCHL) |
| Colin Burston | L | 5’11” | 190 | 3/28/97 | Winnipeg, Man. | Wenatchee (BCHL) |
| BCHL DEFENCE | SH | H | W | DoB | Hometown | Current Team |
| Cameron Ginnetti | R | 5’11” | 190 | 6/9/98 | Vancouver, B.C. | Langley (BCHL) |
| Griffin Mendel | L | 6’4” | 217 | 2/18/99 | Kelowna, B.C. | Penticton (BCHL) |
| James Miller | L | 6’2” | 175 | 2/20/98 | Spruce Grove, Alta. | Penticton (BCHL) |
| Jonny Tychonick | L | 5’11” | 170 | 3/3/00 | Penticton, B.C. | Penticton (BCHL) |
| Andy Stevens | R | 6’3” | 199 | 3/23/98 | Campbell River, B.C. | Powell River (BCHL) |
| Cory Babichuk | L | 5’10” | 170 | 9/28/98 | Edmonton, Alta. | Surrey (BCHL) |
| Logan Milliken | L | 5’11” | 190 | 6/30/97 | Canmore, Alta. | Wenatchee (BCHL) |
| BCHL GOALIES | SH | H | W | DoB | Hometown | Current Team |
| Matthew Galajda | L | 6’1” | 190 | 10/7/97 | Aurora, Ont. | Victoria (BCHL) |
| Ty Taylor | L | 6’3” | 185 | 7/5/99 | Richmond, B.C. | Vernon (BCHL) |
AJHL
| AJHL FORWARDS | SH | H | W | DoB | Hometown | Current Team |
| Derek Brown | R | 6’1” | 180 | 9/8/97 | Edmonton, AB | Bonnyville |
| Ryan Cox | L | 5’10” | 185 | 7/23/98 | St. Albert, AB | Fort McMurray |
| Jordan Xavier | R | 5’9” | 180 | 8/5/97 | Calgary, AB | Calgary Mustangs |
| Kyler Kupka | L | 6’0” | 170 | 5/11/99 | Camrose, AB | Camrose |
| Bryson Traptow | R | 6’4” | 190 | 4/17/97 | Calgary, AB | Camrose |
| Logan Ferguson | R | 5’11” | 182 | 4/18/97 | Calgary, AB | Canmore |
| Jack Hamly | R | 6’0” | 176 | 3/1/98 | Sherwood Park, AB | Fort McMurray |
| Joseph Nardi | L | 5’11” | 175 | 6/1/97 | Edmonton, AB | Whitecourt |
| AJHL DEFENCE | SH | H | W | DoB | Hometown | Current Team |
| Cale Makar | R | 5’10” | 175 | 10/30/98 | Calgary, AB | Brooks |
| Jarrod Gourley | L | 6’2” | 205 | 6/29/99 | Calgary, AB | Spruce Grove |
| Ian Mitchell | R | 5’10” | 165 | 1/18/99 | Calahoo, AB | Spruce Grove |
| AJHL GOALIES | SH | H | W | DoB | Hometown | Current Team |
| Logan Drackett | L | 5’11” | 172 | 1/10/98 | Calgary, AB | Calgary Canucks |
| Nolan Kent | L | 5’11” | 180 | 8/12/98 | Chestermere, AB | Spruce Grove |
| Eric Szudor | L | 6’2” | 185 | 2/17/97 | Edmonton, AB | Fort McMurray |
SJHL
| SJHL FORWARDS | SH | H | W | DoB | Hometown | Current Team | League |
| Braedyn Aubin | R | 6’0” | 210 | 8/22/98 | Woodstock, ON | Dryden | SJHL |
| Layne Young | L | 5’10” | 205 | 6/25/97 | Frenchman Butte, sk | Battlefords | SJHL |
| Kaelan Holt | R | 5’9” | 152 | 9/3/97 | Estevan, sk | Estevan | SJHL |
| Brandon Lesko | L | 6’0” | 196 | 2/20/98 | Hafford, sk | Flin Flon | SJHL |
| Dakota Boutin | L | 6’1” | 185 | 7/3/97 | Moosomin, sk | Melfort | SJHL |
| Adam Dawe | R | 5’8” | 160 | 1/18/99 | Gander, N.L./T.-N.-L. | Notre Dame | SJHL |
| SJHL DEFENCE | SH | H | W | DoB | Hometown | Current Team | League |
| Levi Kleiboer | R | 6’0” | 160 | 7/17/98 | Martensville, sk | Battlefords | SJHL |
| Cody Spagrud | R | 5’11” | 185 | 1/13/98 | Gull Lake, sk | Battlefords | SJHL |
| Cory Thomas | L | 6’5” | 210 | 3/19/98 | St. Brieux, sk | Flin Flon | SJHL |
| Mike Eskra | L | 6’0” | 192 | 1/25/97 | Regina, sk | Weyburn | SJHL |
| Regan Seiferling | R | 6’2” | 173 | 3/9/97 | Moose Jaw, sk | Yorkton | SJHL |
| SJHL GOALIES | SH | H | W | DoB | Hometown | Current Team | League |
| Spencer Eschyschyn | L | 5’11” | 185 | 3/20/98 | Kamloops, BC | English River | SJHL |
| Brandon Wells | L | 6’2” | 180 | 8/12/97 | Spirit River, AB | Melville | SJHL |
MJHL
| MJHL FORWARDS | SH | H | W | DoB | Hometown | Current Team | League |
| Chase Brakel | R | 5’10” | 175 | 12/1/98 | Winnipeg, MB | Portage | MJHL |
| Riese Gaber | L | 5’7” | 138 | 10/10/99 | Gilbert Plains, MB | Dauphin | MJHL |
| Mack Graham | L | 5’7” | 160 | 4/24/97 | Toronto, ON | Steinbach | MJHL |
| Will Koop | R | 5’9” | 184 | 2/10/98 | Winnipeg, MB | Steinbach | MJHL |
| Ben Dalke | R | 5’8” | 174 | 3/26/98 | La Salle, MB | Virden | MJHL |
| Tyler Kirkup | L | 6’1” | 198 | 4/3/98 | Virden, MB | Virden | MJHL |
| MJHL DEFENCE | SH | H | W | DoB | Hometown | Current Team | League |
| Darby Gula | L | 5’10” | 172 | 1/8/98 | Steinbach, MB | Steinbach | MJHL |
| Tyler Jubenvill | L | 5’11” | 180 | 11/30/99 | Gilbert Plains, MB | Winkler | MJHL |
