CALGARY, AB – Hockey Canada announced on Thursday the list of officials for the 2006 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Regina, SK and surrounding communities in Saskatchewan from December 29, 2005 through January 4, 2006.

Hockey Canada released the following list of 17 officials from across Canada that will be officiating at the 2006 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Referees (Hometown/Branch)

Domenic Bédard (Laval, QC/Hockey Quebec)
Jean Hébert (Moncton, NB/Hockey New-Brunswick)
Dave Lewis (Pickering, ON/Ontario Hockey Federation)
Colby Smith (Surrey, BC/BC Hockey)
John Stevenson (Thunder Bay, ON/Hockey Northwestern Ontario)
Nathan Wieler (Regina, SK/ Saskatchewan Hockey Assoc.)

Linesmen (Hometown/Branch)

Bobby Beddingfield (Calgary, AB/Hockey Alberta)
Mathieu Chénier (Quebec City, QC/Hockey Quebec)
Justin Day (Mount Pearl, NL/Hockey Newfoundland/Labrador)
Derrick Fox (Regina, SK/ Saskatchewan Hockey Assoc.)
Tim Hamel (Charlottetown, PEI/PEI Hockey Association)
Justin Hull (Burnaby, BC/BC Hockey)
Dave Lauer (Nepean, ON/Ottawa District Hockey Assoc.)
Matt MacPherson (Halifax, NS/Hockey Nova Scotia)
Jeff Smoliak (Regina, SK/Saskatchewan Hockey Assoc.)
Matthew Traub (Thornhill, ON/Ontario Hockey Federation)
Darryl Wolfe (Grimsby, ON/Ontario Hockey Federation)

The World Under-17 Challenge is an annual international event that Hockey Canada has operated since 1992, previously called the Quebec Cup (1986, 1988, 1990). The World Under-17 Challenge brings together five regional Canadian teams (Atlantic, Ontario, Pacific, Quebec, Western) and five international teams, made up of players born in 1989 or later. This event represents the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, which consists of the Under-17 Program, the Under-18 Program and the National Junior Team. Through the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, players, coaches and officials get a first experience of international hockey and the event represents a first step in identifying and evaluating coaches, players and officials for Canada’s National Under-18 and Junior Teams.

“We are extremely proud of the group of officials we are sending to this year’s World Under-17 Challenge,” said Maurice Roy, Hockey Canada Referee-in-Chief. “They are a great example of the quality of officials we have from coast to coast in this country. As with players and coaches that are part of the Program of Excellence, these officials are taking a first step towards representing Canada in World Championships in the future.”

The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge represents an important component in the Hockey Canada’s Officiating Program of Excellence (OPOE), as each of the 17 officials selected are moving up the ranks of the OPOE. This program, in its third year, is designed to assist in the identification of talented officials in Canada and to help develop them