Tuesday, October 6, 2009
BC Hockey announced on July 24, 2009 the 20 man roster for Team BC that will compete at the inaugural Western Branch Challenge in Red Deer, AB October 28 to November 1, 2009. The selection was based on the player’s performance at the 2009 Male U16 BC Cup and 2009 Male U16 Provincial Camp earlier this year.
The 2009 Western Branch Challenge is an inaugural event for BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The 20 players selected were identified by the BC Hockey High Performance Evaluators and Team BC coaching staff.
“It was very encouraging walking away from camp and I was thrilled with the overall level of play and speed of the players,” said Team BC Head Coach Jim Dinwoodie. “As a coaching staff it is our job to pay attention to the small details at the event. These details are important when competing in a short term competition.”
The Male Under 16 Program was designed by BC Hockey to instruct and prepare High Performance players for future opportunities in the BC Hockey High Performance Program. Open Zone Camps are held during the first weekend of January for players 15 years or younger. From each zone, 20 players are selected to compete in the jamboree style U16 BC Cup. A jamboree style tournament is when the 20 players selected from each zone are mixed together to form the eight (8) teams.