FEMALE U18 AND MALE U16 TEAM BC ANNOUNCED FOR 2023 CANADA WINTER GAMES
For Immediate ReleaseDecember 18, 2022
Saanichton, B.C. - BC Hockey is excited to announce the rosters for the Program of Excellence’s (POE) Female U18 Team BC and the Male U16 Team BC that will be competing at the 2023 Canada Winter Games from February 18 to March 5, 2023, in Prince Edward Island.
Female U18 Team BC
The process to select the Female U18 Team BC began back in April 2022, when 177 athletes participated in two POE Open Camps, in Salmon Arm and Richmond. Following the POE Open Camps, 69 athletes were then selected to participate in POE Provincial Camp, which took place in Penticton in July. The athletes then continued to be scouted and monitored throughout the beginning of their respective league seasons and the top-26 athletes participated in POE Prep Camp this past weekend in Whistler. The remaining athletes participated in practices, dryland training and two exhibition games against the U18 A Sea 2 Sky Bears throughout the weekend before the final roster decisions were made.
Female U18 Team BC will be led by head coach Kris Hogg, who is entering his third year with the POE program. He led the team to a championship win at the U18 Western Regional Championship in 2021, along with a fifth-place finish at the 2019 National Women’s U18 Championship. He will be joined assistant coaches Amy de Bree and Whitney Juszkiewicz, video coach Tim Knight, and Aboriginal Apprentice Coach JJ Holmes. Support staff will include athletic therapist Lydia Maxwell, strength & conditioning coach Matt Davey and equipment manager Les Cleverly.
"It was the hardest selection process I have been a part of and each player gave it everything they had. Although the roster is 20 today, we know that the other players released will continue to be a part of the program," Female U18 Team BC Head Coach Kris Hogg said. "Now we move ahead with more preparation heading into the Canada Winter Games and I am extremely excited to continue the growth of this group, on-and-off the ice, as we prepare for the biggest stage in P.E.I."
Nine players will be returning from the 2021 Female U18 Team BC that claimed gold at the 2021 Western Regional Championship including Fraser Valley Rush trio Aynsley D’Ottavio, Gillian Lapierre and Vienna Rubin, along with five members of Rink Hockey Academy (Hailey Armstrong, Mikayla Blomquist, Gracie Graham, Maddie Leaney, and Jaimee Spring). Three Team BC athletes are also graduates of Tri-Cities Female IHA (Jordan Baxter, Gillian Lapierre and London McDavid), the most of any minor hockey association. Click the link below to view the full roster.
Female U18 Team BC Roster
The Female portion of the 2023 Canada Winter Games will take place February 27, 2023 – March 5, 2023.
Male U16 Team BC
The process to select the Male U16 Team BC began back in March 2022, where 327 athletes participated in five POE Regional Camps across the province, with two taking place in Vancouver, and one taking place in each of Penticton, Victoria and Prince George. In April, 120 of these athletes participated in the BC Cup in Salmon Arm before the top-68 players from the BC Cup progressed to the next stage, participating in POE Provincial Camp in July in Penticton. After Team BC scouts continued to monitor player’s progress throughout the season, the top-26 players were invited to this past weekend’s POE Prep Camp in Whistler, where athletes participated in practices, dryland training, and an exhibition game against the U18 AAA Greater Vancouver Canadians.
Male U16 Team BC will be led by head coach Brad Bowen. The Yale Hockey Academy coach is in his first year with Team BC. He will be joined by assistant coaches Cam Barker and Chris Shaw, along with video coach Wes McLeod. Support staff will include athletic therapist Lydia Maxwell, strength & conditioning coach Matt Davey and equipment manager and trainer Les Cleverly.
“Each spot on this team, the players have had to earn it, and I think that is what is going to make this team successful,” Male U16 Team BC Head Coach Brad Bowen said. “The local club teams have done a great job developing these players and their skill set. Prep Camp was extremely competitive and the group came ready to compete. I think they are going to make this province very proud.”
There are no returning players from the Male U16 Team BC that claimed gold at the 2021 WHL Cup. There are three members on the Team BC roster who are graduates of Burnaby Winter Club (Adam Boatter, Benjamin Kindel and Savin Virk) and three members who played at Prince George MHA (Ryder Green, Chase Harrington and Cameron Schmidt). Click the link below to view the full roster.
Male U16 Team BC Roster
The Male portion of the 2023 Canada Winter Games will take place February 18 – 25, 2023.
For more information on BC Hockey's POE, please visit https://www.bchockey.net/team-bc/program-of-excellence.
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