CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has announced the dates and host communities for six events taking place during the 2022-23 season, including the return of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup and World Junior A Challenge for the first time since 2019.

The communities of Langley and Delta, B.C., will host the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge from Nov. 5-12, bringing some of the top young players in the world to Metro Vancouver.

The 2022 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup will run from Nov. 27-Dec. 3 in Bridgewater, N.S., marking the first time that the event has been held in the Maritimes since 2016.

A showcase of Canadian and international Junior A talent, the 2022 World Junior A Challenge will take place in Cornwall, Ont., from Dec. 11-18.

Two of Hockey Canada’s national championships will return to their typical April schedule in 2023, with the puck dropping at the Esso Cup in Prince Albert, Sask., on April 23 and the TELUS Cup beginning April 24 in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que.

The Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, will be hosted in Portage la Prairie, Man., in May 2023, bringing Canada’s National Junior A Championship to Manitoba for a fourth time.

“We are excited to announce the host communities for six events taking place in 2022-23, and we cannot wait to bring some of the top hockey events in the world to fans across Canada,” said Dean McIntosh, vice-president of events and properties for Hockey Canada. “Hosting events of this magnitude would not be possible without our incredible local partners, and we are very grateful for their support as we count down to puck drop.”

Tickets are available now for the 2022 World Junior A Challenge in Cornwall, Ont., at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets, while on-sale dates for the remaining events will be announced at a later date.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, become a Hockey Canada Insider, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CALGARY, Alta. – Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the difficult decision has been made to cancel the 2021 National Women’s Under-18 Championship, 2021 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup and 2021 World Junior A Challenge. The following is a statement on behalf of Hockey Canada from Tom Renney, chief executive officer, and Scott Smith, president and chief operating officer:

“Despite a strong desire to work with three great communities to host the top players at various levels across the country this season, the health and safety of all participants and the communities at large continues to be of the utmost importance to Hockey Canada. The ongoing pandemic, in addition to the vaccination status of some international teams, has left us with no other option. We believe the decision to cancel these fall events is the safest decision given the ongoing uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic at a local level, as well as the uncertainty around countries and regions being able to safely compete.

Hockey Canada is grateful for the continued support of local host committees and event partners, including B.C. Hockey, Hockey Eastern Ontario, Hockey Nova Scotia and the Canadian Junior Hockey League, as well as the communities of Bridgewater, N.S., Cornwall, Ont., and Dawson Creek, B.C., and all local and provincial funding partners. Our organization is appreciative of the commitment and support of all stakeholders to host these events and we look forward to showcasing our national events and all participants to fans next year.”

Hockey Canada will continue to work with event stakeholders to host the spring 2022 national championships and to continue to investigate opportunities to prepare Canadian athletes to represent Canada at the Olympic Winter Games, Paralympic Winter Games, IIHF world championships and other international events.

CALGARY, Alta. – Following the cancellation of the 2019-20 hockey season and all national championships in March, Hockey Canada has worked tirelessly with its host organizing committees for 2020 and beyond.

While a tremendous amount of work has gone into planning the fall 2020 events, the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created a position where there is no further option other than to cancel three events, instead planning for their return in 2021 to the following communities:

• 2020 National Women’s Under-18 Championship, Nov. 2-8 in Dawson Creek, B.C.
• 2020 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup, Dec. 6-12 in Bridgewater, N.S.
• 2020 World Junior A Challenge, Dec. 13-20 in Cornwall, Ont.

The following statement is on behalf of Hockey Canada from Tom Renney, chief executive officer, and Scott Smith, president and chief operating officer:

“At various rates, provinces from coast-to-coast-to-coast have started moving ahead with their phased re-opening, but as it has been since the season was cancelled, Hockey Canada’s priority remains the health and safety of all participants and the general public. We believe the decision to cancel these three events is the safest decision given the ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic at the local level, as well as the international implications associated with these events.

Hockey Canada is grateful for the continued support of our local host committees and event partners, including BC Hockey, Hockey Nova Scotia, Hockey Eastern Ontario, NHL Central Scouting, the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL). We appreciate the commitment and support of everyone involved and we look forward to showcasing some incredible hockey to fans next year.”

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. – Team Canada East has finished with the silver medal at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge after falling to Russia 2-1 in double overtime in the gold medal game. The medal is the sixth silver and seventh overall for the team.

After Pavel Tyutnev scored to give the Russians a 1-0 lead with less than five minutes to play, Team Canada East went on a five-on-three power play in the final two minutes, which became a six-on-three with goaltender Devon Levi (Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que./Carleton Place, CCHL) on the bench. Ryan O’Hara (Oakville, Ont./Oakville, OJHL) found Ryan Alexander (Toronto/St. Michael’s, OJHL) with a cross-crease pass, and he beat a sprawling Yegor Guskov with 1:02 remaining to force overtime.

Early in the second extra frame, Russian defenceman Shakir Mukhamadullin found the back of the net on a point shot that redirected off a Canadian, giving Russia its first-ever gold.

“It’s hard to comprehend right now, but I think if we look back at this tournament in a week or two, our guys are going to realize that we did something special here,” said Team Canada East head coach Martin Dagenais (Embrun, Ont./Ottawa, CCHL). “I hope this is a memory our players can have for the rest of their lives, because to come here and win silver is a great accomplishment for Team Canada East.”

Levi, who was named World Junior A Challenge MVP, was exceptional for the Canadians, turning aside 39 shots in the loss.

“It was a tough loss and we are pretty upset right now, but we still managed to defy the odds. We knew we could accomplish this, and we used the underdog mentality to our advantage,” said Levi. “It is every kid’s childhood dream to play for Team Canada, forget about winning a medal. Being a part of Team Canada and being able to represent my country was a great experience and I will never forget it.”

Following the gold medal game, the 2019 World Junior A Challenge all-star team was announced:

• Goaltender: Yegor Guskov (Russia)
• Defence: Philippe Chapleau (Canada East)
• Defence: Daniil Chayka (Russia)
• Forward: Brendan Brisson (United States)
• Forward: Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (United States)
• Forward: Ryland Mosley (Canada East)

United States defeats Czech Republic to win bronze

In the bronze medal game earlier Sunday, Trevor Kuntar scored on a partial breakaway just over two minutes into overtime to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 and secure a bronze medal for the United States.

The Americans opened the scoring at 5:18 of the third period when Sean Farrell jammed in a rebound in front of the Czech net. But a Daniel Poizl shot from the point redirected off an American glove and found the back of the net with 4.2 seconds remaining, forcing overtime.

American goaltender Ethan Haider was stellar in a 37-save performance, while Jakub Dobes recorded 29 stops for the Czech Republic.

For more information on the 2019 World Junior A Challenge, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Twitter.

Kevin Henderson describes the role of team host as someone who solves the problems of others.

Pretty straightforward, but definitely not easy.

Henderson is back at it again this week for the 2019 World Junior A Challenge in Dawson Creek, B.C., a community that has become a go-to for Hockey Canada events, from the 2009 National Women’s Team -pre-Olympic boot camp to the National Women’s Under-18 Championship and World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Henderson has been front and centre at all of the events as a volunteer, primarily as a team host. He is placed with one of the competing teams and is the first person contacted when a problem arises – like when a player forgets to pack some of his gear.

“One kid forgot his skates this year so I was asked, ‘Can we figure something out?’ ” says Henderson, who by day is the general manager of development services at the City of Dawson Creek. “I play hockey with a guy who owns a sports store. He gave us a brand-new pair of skates for this kid to wear in practices and an exhibition game while his skates were being shipped.

“That’s the beauty of a small town. It speaks to the community and willingness to help.”

That sense of coming together and doing whatever is necessary has put Dawson Creek on the map. Hockey Canada regularly identifies communities that have the ability to host national events. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t work as well. With Dawson Creek it has become a success, each and every time.

Henderson points to the history of his community working with Canada’s national hockey body. In 2009, Canada’s National Women’s Team needed a small community, away from the media glare, for its summer boot camp, a month-long event that sees players and staff move into a community for on- and off-ice training and team building.

Dawson Creek welcomed the team with open arms, with residents opening up their homes for players and staff to live in. The Henderson family – Kevin, his wife Tyra and their children, Hudson and Rachel – moved out of their home and in with Tyra’s parents, who were on an acreage about 15 minutes outside of town.

The Henderson house turned into the home for Team Canada athletes Meaghan Mikkelson, Brianne Jenner, Charline Labonté and Delaney Collins, two of whom – Mikkelson and Labonté – would be on the ice in Vancouver months later celebrating Olympic gold.

“It was great to see how that process started in Dawson Creek and went right through to the Olympics in 2010 in Vancouver,” says Henderson. “Knowing you had a little part to play in that process was pretty cool. I know some of the women’s players still talk about that experience in Dawson Creek. It was great that we had the ability to do that.”

The boot camp acted as a sort of springboard for events in Dawson Creek.

In November 2012, the city welcomed the National Women’s Under-18 Championship. Henderson was team host for Ontario Blue, with Rachel acting as a junior host and getting the chance to hang around the players and soak it all in, including an opportunity to skate with the team in warm-up.

Ontario Blue ended up making history, upsetting Ontario Red – the seven-time defending champion – in the semifinal en route to a gold medal.

Fast forward three years and Dawson Creek is hosting the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Henderson is host for Canada White, Hudson is junior host and, once again, the team Henderson is hosting makes it to the gold medal game. Hudson’s role at that event was really to shadow the team trainers. He filled water bottles, grabbed sticks for players and was the classic rink rat that got to experience so much.

Henderson says that experience was unlike any other for his small community.

“Our facility (the Encana Events Centre) had never seen anything like that,” says Henderson. “There were about 4,000 people in there for the final, it was jammed to the rafters. Canada versus Russia … it doesn’t get any better than that. These are the kinds of things that are great for small communities like Dawson Creek.”

The under-17 event returned to Dawson Creek in 2017, with Henderson acting once again host for Canada White, which this time finished with bronze.

Henderson’s involvement with Hockey Canada is just one part of his love of hockey. He didn’t play the game as a child and started around the age of 30, when Hudson’s interest in hockey began. Both of his children – Hudson is now 21 and Rachel is 19 – grew up at the rink, both played hockey and Henderson and his wife lent countless hours to minor hockey as volunteers – he a coach and she a team manager.

It has been just over 10 years since Dawson Creek hosted Team Canada at that boot camp and the community continues to rally around Hockey Canada events.

“Our city is very fortunate to have a core group of volunteers who got involved in 2009-10,” he says. “We have been able to keep that core group together. That makes it a lot easier from a host community perspective to pull off these events. Everybody takes pride in this and we all strive to do a good job.”

It was almost pre-ordained that Michael Benning was going to be a defenceman, and a good one.

After all, it seems pretty much every branch of the Benning family tree includes a talented rearguard.

Michael has a brother, Matt, who is into his fourth season with the Edmonton Oilers, and a sister, Abby, who is a fifth-year senior with the University of Alberta, with whom she won a U SPORTS national title in 2017.

Both are defencemen.

His father, Brian, played 568 NHL games with St. Louis, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Edmonton and Florida from 1985-95, uncle Jim – currently the general manager of the Vancouver Canucks – spent 610 games across nine NHL seasons with Toronto and Vancouver, and uncle Mark was a standout at Harvard University who played a couple seasons of pro hockey in Germany.

All three were defencemen.

So would he really want to be anything different?

“When I was younger, I wanted to be a forward,” Michael says. “I kept telling my dad that, but he wouldn’t give up.”

Sticking with the family business has worked out pretty well for Michael, a 2020 NHL draft prospect and University of Denver commit who is wearing the Maple Leaf this week with Canada West at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge.

He comes into the tournament with a little bit of hype. After posting 40 points in 27 games with the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, Michael was highlighted by NHL Central Scouting as a player to watch and featured by The Hockey News in a pre-tournament article.

Just don’t expect a few more sets of eyes and a few more words on a page to change the way he plays.

“There are scouts everywhere these days and I’m not a big social media guy,” Michael says of the attention. “I just try to be the best I can be. I’m playing with good players, so I want to use that to my advantage.”

Advice like that has been – and still is – a staple of his upbringing. With Michael in Sherwood Park, Matt and Abby playing in Edmonton and Brian at home in St. Albert, family dinners happen as often as schedules allow, giving Michael plenty of opportunities for brain-picking.

“They’ve been through every situation,” he says of his family. “They guide me, they tell me what’s going to come up, they help me prepare for it. They’re good teachers on the ice and off the ice, so it’s nice to have.”

Michael also gives a lot of credit to his late grandfather Elmer, a legendary scout who spent 47 years with the Montreal Canadiens and convinced the Habs to select Carey Price in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

“He was my one of my greatest influences,” Michael says of Elmer, who passed away in December 2018. “He was always there with positive feedback. Things I don’t see on the ice he saw from the stands, so he was always a great help with the little things. He was so positive and such a people person.”

But for all the advice they give and all the experience they have, one accomplishment has eluded the Bennings – an international gold medal. Brian finished fourth in his lone trip to the IIHF World Championship in 1993, the closest a family member has come to the podium.

Michael wants to change that, and give himself a few bragging rights at the same time.

“I’m the youngest and I’m a little bugger, so when I get something they don’t have I like to rub it in their face and say ‘Look at this,’” Michael says with a laugh. “It’ll be nice [if we can get it done].”

Who will be looked upon in the dying minutes of a tie game? Who will be counted upon to provide leadership on the road to a gold medal? Who will make the key pass? Score the big goal? Make the huge save?

NHL Central Scouting has selected three players from each of the five teams competing in Dawson Creek, B.C., that it believes are players to watch at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge.

Who made the list?

CANADA EAST

RYAN ALEXANDER
hard-working two-way centre … processes the game well … relentless in puck pursuit … determined to win battles … uses wide base effectively … plays in all situations

DAVID LAFRANCE
dynamic two-way defenceman … smooth and fluid skater … plays with poise and confidence … good hockey IQ … positionally sound … makes responsible decisions

DEVON LEVI
athletic goaltender … very confident … technically sound and balanced … reads the game extremely well … good net presence … very solid stance … quick puck retrieval

CANADA WEST

MICHAEL BENNING
dynamic defenceman … very good speed and mobility … doesn’t get rattled under pressure … good hockey sense … stops the rush and transitions quickly … high-end skills

KENT JOHNSON
creative player … sees the ice exceptionally well … elite passer … controls the tempo of the game … natural ability to create time and space … loves to have the puck

CARTER SAVOIE
excellent skater … exceptional vision, hockey sense and acceleration … makes plays at top speed … hard to defend … quick release and good finishing touch … no-quit effort

CZECH REPUBLIC

DANIEL KOWALCZYK
skillful defenceman … used in all situations … solid skater for his size … good defensive awareness … comfortable to join the rush … distributes the puck effectively

ONDREJ PSENICKA
big-bodied forward … strong skater with good mobility … good hands … handles the puck well in traffic … good two-way effort … effective forechecker … good one-on-one

JAKUB RYCHLOVSKY
skilled winger … very good acceleration and balance … effective on the forecheck … always first on loose pucks … good work ethic … quick hands … plays bigger than size

RUSSIA

MARAT KHUSNUTDINOV
200-foot centre … very good hockey sense … quick and effective decision making … good speed and balance … drives hard to the net … consistent high-energy game

SHAKIR MUKHMADULLIN
two-way defenceman … plays tough in his zone … skates well for his size … good hands … efficient passer … powerful shot from the point … able to stay with checks

ALEXANDER PASHIN
diminutive winger … quick and explosive skater … creates scoring chances on the fly … aggressive on the puck … drives hard to the net … uses speed to read and react

UNITED STATES

ETHAN HAIDER
good understanding of position … technically sound … good quickness and balance … challenges shooters well … good concentration … plays a confident game

MICHAEL KOSTER
diminutive defenceman … dictates play from the back end … finds ways to create offence … good positioning and stick work … complete player in all situations

RYDER ROLSTON
dynamic winger … plays at a high pace in all zones … very good skater … beats defenders to the outside … hard and accurate shot … competes hard every shift

CALGARY, Alta. – Team Canada West has selected its final roster ahead of the 2019 World Junior A Challenge, and 22 players will wear the Maple Leaf in Dawson Creek, B.C., Dec. 7-15.

The players selected to represent Team Canada West participated in a three-day selection camp at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. They were selected from the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s five western leagues - the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) and Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL).

The roster was selected by Team Canada West staff, led by head coach Joe Martin (Kingston, Ont./Alberni Valley, BCHL) and director of operations Jamie McCaig (Edmonton, Alta./Whitecourt, AJHL).

“After months of preparation and identifying players, it was great to gather in Calgary for a highly competitive camp and allow our players to compete for a spot on Team Canada West,” said McCaig. “We are excited to have our final roster selected, and our staff and players are excited for the opportunity to represent Canada and compete for a gold medal in Dawson Creek.”

Two players (Matthew Davis and Massimo Rizzo) will return to the Team Canada West line-up after winning bronze at the 2018 World Junior A Challenge in Bonnyville, Alta.

Of the 13 gold medal games at the World Junior A Challenge, 10 have featured at least one Canadian team. Team Canada West has won gold five times (2006, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2017), silver three times (2008, 2009, 2012) and bronze twice (2013, 2018).

World Junior A Challenge faces off Dec. 7 in Dawson Creek

The World Junior A Challenge will head to Dawson Creek for the first time this weekend, as the city will welcome talent from four countries.

From Dec. 7-15, the teams – Team Canada East, Team Canada West, the Czech Republic, Russia and the United States – will compete in 14 games over eight days at the 4,500-seat Encana Events Centre.

“The City of Dawson Creek is excited to once again work with Hockey Canada and welcome the World Junior A Challenge to the Encana Events Centre for the first time, and to host the top Junior A talent in the world,” said Mayor Dale Bumstead. “We look forward to welcoming the world back to Dawson Creek, and I know our local host committee and volunteers are working hard to ensure the 2019 World Junior A Challenge is a world-class event for everyone involved.”

Team Canada East will open the tournament against Russia on Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. MT, followed by Team Canada West taking on the United States at 7 p.m. MT. A variety of ticket packages, including two- and four-game packs, are available for purchase starting as low as $40 plus fees at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets or at the Tiger Box Office Plus at the Encana Events Centre.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada will air the bronze and gold medal games on Sunday, Dec. 15; please check local listings for details. All other games will be streamed live at HockeyCanada.ca/WJAC.

Prior to the start of play, the teams will take to the ice for pre-tournament games in three surrounding communities on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. MT. The United States will take on Team Canada East the Chetwynd Rec Centre in Chetwynd, B.C., Russia will face off against Team Canada West at North Peace Arena in Fort St. John, B.C., and the Grande Prairie Storm of the Alberta Junior Hockey League will match up against the Czech Republic at Revolution Place in Grande Prairie, Alta.

For more information on the 2019 World Junior A Challenge, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook or Twitter.

CALGARY, Alta. – Team Canada East has selected its final roster ahead of the 2019 World Junior A Challenge, and 22 players are set to wear the Maple Leaf in Dawson Creek, B.C., Dec. 7-15.

The players were selected from the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s five eastern leagues – the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL), Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), Ligue de hockey junior AAA du Québec (LHJAAAQ) and Maritime Hockey League (MHL).

The roster was selected by Team Canada East staff, led by head coach Martin Dagenais (Embrun, Ont./Ottawa, CCHL) and director of operations Mark Grady (Orleans, Ont.).

“There are bound to be difficult decisions any time you have the opportunity to select players from five Junior A leagues, but we know our staff and 22 players are excited for the opportunity to represent Canada at the World Junior A Challenge,” said Grady. “We believe we have assembled a strong team that will prove to be competitive at the tournament, and we look forward to competing for a gold medal in Dawson Creek.”

One player (Ryland Mosley) will return to the Team Canada East line-up after participating in the 2018 World Junior A Challenge in Bonnyville, Alta.

Team Canada East will kick off the tournament against Russia on Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. MT when the World Junior A Challenge heads to Dawson Creek for the first time. A variety of ticket packages, including two- and four-game packages, are available for purchase starting as low as $40 plus fees at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets or at the Tiger Box Office Plus at the Encana Events Centre.

Of the 13 gold medal games at the World Junior A Challenge, 10 have featured at least one Canadian team. Team Canada East will look to earn its first gold medal, having won silver five times (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2016) and bronze once (2008).

For more information on the 2019 World Junior A Challenge, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook or Twitter.

CALGARY, Alta. – The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and NHL Central Scouting have identified a list of 44 players who have been invited to Team Canada West selection camp in advance of the 2019 World Junior A Challenge in Dawson Creek, B.C.

From Dec. 1-3, 44 Team Canada West hopefuls will gather at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary for three days of games and practices as part of the evaluation process.

The players were selected from the CJHL’s five western Junior A leagues: the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) and Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL). Team Canada West staff, led by head coach Joe Martin (Kingston, Ont./Alberni Valley, BCHL) and director of operations Jamie McCaig (Edmonton/Whitecourt, AJHL), will use the camp to evaluate the players before selecting the final roster for the 2019 World Junior A Challenge.

“After months of work put in to identifying players, our team is excited to bring a talented group together for selection camp, and we look forward to assembling Team Canada West for what should be a highly-competitive tournament in Dawson Creek,” said McCaig. “We know these 44 players will bring work ethic and a hard-working attitude to camp as we begin our quest for a gold medal at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge.”

Team Canada West will kick off the tournament against the United States on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. MT when the World Junior A Challenge heads to Dawson Creek for the first time. A variety of ticket packages, including two- and four-game packages, are available for purchase starting as low as $40 plus fees at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets or at the Tiger Box Office Plus at the Encana Events Centre.

Of the 13 gold medal games at the World Junior A Challenge, 10 have featured at least one Canadian team. Team Canada West has won gold five times (2006, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2017), silver three times (2008, 2009, 2012) and bronze twice (2013, 2018).

For more information on the 2019 World Junior A Challenge, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook or Twitter.