The Junior Team Canada Under 16 Program will be sending 22 players along with staff members to Rovaniemi, Finland in June 2020 to recapture gold, and defend their status as reigning World Champions.
The Junior Team Canada staff were very busy in 2019 scouting various events including the Provincial Peewee, Bantam and Junior Championships, and the CanAm Junior Championship which has led to the selections of this team.
This tournament will afford players, in most instances, with their first international experience and exposure to high level, elite ball hockey competition, and will serve as a good foundation in their individual growth and development. The players were selected, not just for their obvious high calibre skills, but for their character, personality and community reputation, earning them the right to represent Canada.
JTC U16 & U18 General Manager, Scott Jacobi stated, “the under 16 level is always an unknown in terms of how we will stack up against our competition, every year the competition improves and we always our opponents best game, but I am confident that the squad that has been assembled, and the staff assembled to guide them, will once again be competing on Sunday for gold."
Jacobi, in commenting on the coaching staff selected, "we are excited to have been able to assemble another technically strong, and experienced group of coaches and professional and support staff each of whom bring many years of Championship Provincial and International experience, and the other skills necessary to aid this collection of young men to once again battle for a World Championship".
Commenting on the goal of the 2020 teams Steven Dockerty, National High Performance Director adds, “we have a Mission Statement - To prepare and assemble a team of the Country’s best junior ball hockey players to compete for gold at the WJC. To field a team that sets extraordinary standards for competitiveness, sportsmanship and team continuity. To create a ‘life experience’ for the members of the JTC and the officials.”
Ball Hockey is an amazing sport and these young men are truly fortunate to have the opportunity to compete with the best in the world and absorb the culture of each European host city” Dockerty concluded with “The ultimate goal is to ensure each player has a life experience that he can take with him for years to come. We are pleased with the scouting, selection and acceptance of the players chosen for the team.’
Jacobi has been a part of junior ball hockey for over fifteen years and worked with the National Program in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 as well as 2020 and offers his view on WJC. “This tournament is not only about what will take place on the floor for these young men, but as most will be visiting Finland for the first time in their lives, it will be the people and the culture they will encounter and embrace as well that adds to the experience. As these young men grow up and have families of their own, it won’t be the medals that they come home with that will be most remembered, it will be the experiences and the stories brought back from visiting this part of the world, with this group of brothers that will make this a lifetime memory for them all” .
“Having spoken to all members of the coaching staffs throughout this process, I am confident that the work that they have put in will translate into a highly satisfying trip along with a good showing on the floor.” said Dockerty. “In the last three international competitions the staff thought out all the little things and planned accordingly because once you start traveling with this amount of players plus staff in a short period of time through major European cities, it all has to run smoothly from start to finish in order for these players to produce on the floor.”
People that tend to be missed in these types of announcements are the local coaches, associations and family members that have helped the players get to this level, along with these individuals all those that scouted for Junior Team Canada at local and regional events should take pride in this team, as they too played a big part in the team composition.
“On behalf of the National Ball Hockey Association of Canada, I would like to congratulate the players and staff named today, along with their provincial associations, leagues, club teams, families, coaches and officials who have helped them along the way,” said Dockerty. With that said, it is with great pride that we present you the 2020 Junior Team Canada U16 players:
The 2020 Junior Team Canada U16 Team:
Goalies: Braeden Derks, Logan Vale
Defencemen: Jonathan Cabral, Joey Coates, Nicolas Lancione, Logan Leroux, Josh Marsden, Alex McManus, Duncan Schneider
Forwards: Luke Charlebois, Blake Peters-Davey, Jake Desaillier, Jack Dever, Luke Lalonde, Heiden Leonard, Nicholas McCallen, Corbin Roach, Christian Streek, Jack Thor, Carter Weissflog, Carter Wilson
Coaches: Nelson Lajeunesse, Joe Cochrane
RMT: Bobbi Jo Turner
Doctor: Dr. Andrea Jones
GM: Scott Jacobi
Your Passion…Your Dedication…Play Like A Champion…Play Like Team Canada…Commit To The Culture of Excellence….We Are Canada
#wbhf2020rovaniemi #WeReady #BeGreat #WeAreTeamCanada #BeTheStandard
