Author: Dominic Tiano

BOUCHERVILLE, Wednesday, October 26, 2016 – The Canadian Hockey League in association with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Chicoutimi Saguenéens and the Baie-Comeau Drakkar announced today the roster composition of the QMJHL all-star team to play Team Russia as part of the 2016 CIBC Canada Russia Series.

The Saguenéens will host the first game of the series to be held at the Georges-Vézina Centre, Tuesday, November 15, while the Drakkar host the second game to be presented at the Henry-Leonard Center on Thursday November 17.

Dominique Ducharme, General Manager and Head Coach of the Drummondville Voltigeurs, will work as Head Coach behind the bench for both games of team QMJHL. Yannick Jean, head coach of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens will support Ducharme as assistant coach. Martin Bernard, head coach of the Drakkar, will also assist Ducharme for the two games.

Dominique Ducharme won a gold medal as an assistant coach of the National Men’s Summer Under-18 team at Canada’s 2013 Memorial Tournament of Ivan Hlinka. Ducharme joined the Voltigeurs after spending the last five seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads, who led the team to its first MasterCard Memorial Cup championship in 2013. Ducharme played seven seasons of professional hockey from 1995 to 2002 particularly in the ECHL, AHL and in Europe.

The three CHL leagues selected a committee who worked hard with Hockey Canada to select the players. A total of 21 players have been chosen. The starting roster for each games will be announced on a future date.

Here is the complete lineup for the 2016 CIBC Canada Russia Series of the CHL :

Goaltenders (2):
Callum Booth (Quebec Remparts)
Evan Fitzpatrick (Sherbrooke Phoenix)

Defencemen (8):
Frederic Allard (Chicoutimi Sagueneens)
Simon Bourque (Rimouski Oceanic)
Guillaume Brisebois (Charlottetown Islanders)
Samuel Girard (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Jeremy Lauzon (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Nicolas Meloche (Gatineau Olympiques)
Philippe Myers (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Jeremy Roy (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)

Forwards (12):
Alex Barre-Boulet (Drummondville Voltigeurs)
Jean-Christophe Beaudin (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Maxime Comtois (Victoriaville Tigres)
Alex Dostie (Gatineau Olympiques)
Pierre-Luc Dubois (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles)
Gabriel Fontaine (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Alexandre Fortin (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Julien Gauthier (Val-d’Or Foreurs)
Brandon Gignac (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Pascal Laberge (Victoriaville Tigres)
Mathieu Joseph (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Nicolas Roy (Chicoutimi Sagueneens)

The 2016 CIBC Canada Russia series is supported by title sponsor and Official Bank of the CHL, CIBC, and CHL associate sponsors Cooper Tire, autoTRADER.ca and Sherwin-Williams.  All games will be broadcast nationally on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.

2016 CIBC Canada Russia Series Schedule:

Game 1 – Monday November 7 at Prince George, BC

Game 2 – Tuesday November 8 at Edmonton, AB

Game 3 – Thursday November 10 at North Bay, ON

Game 4 – Monday November 14 at Hamilton, ON

Game 5 – Tuesday November 15 at Chicoutimi, QC

Game 6 – Thursday November 17 at Baie-Comeau, QC

For event information including how to purchase tickets please visit www.chlcanadarussia.ca.

Toronto, ON – The Western Hockey League, in collaboration with the Canadian Hockey League, Prince George Cougars, Edmonton Oil Kings and Hockey Canada, announced today the roster for Team WHL, which will compete against Team Russia at the 2016 CIBC Canada Russia Series.

Team WHL will face Team Russia in Game 1 of the 2016 CIBC Canada Russia Series in Prince George, B.C. on Monday, November 7^th, before continuing on to Edmonton for Game 2 on Tuesday, November 8^th. The Ontario Hockey League will host Games 3 and 4, while the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will welcome the festivities surrounding Games 5 and 6.

Team WHL’s roster is laced with NHL prospects yet again this season, including 10 players who were selected in the first two rounds of the NHL Draft. Highly-touted 2017 NHL Draft prospects Nolan Patrick and Cal Foote also cracked the roster for Team WHL as players look to move closer to earning a spot on Team Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship in December.

Prince George Cougars forward Jansen Harkins, a second round pick of the Winnipeg Jets, will have the opportunity to suit up for Team WHL in front of a hometown crowd when the series opens in Prince George on November 7^th.

When the series shifts to Edmonton on November 8^th, a total of five local players will suit up against Team Russia including Edmonton native and Oilers prospect Tyler Benson. Giorgio Estephan (Edmonton, AB), Sam Steel (Sherwood Park, AB), Brendan Guhle (Sherwood Park, AB) and Carter Hart (Sherwood Park, AB) will also have the opportunity to take to the ice in front of family and friends.

TEAM WHL ROSTER:

Goaltenders:

Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips)
Connor Ingram (Kamloops Blazers)

Defencemen:

Kale Clague (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Cal Foote (Kelowna Rockets)
Brendan Guhle (Prince Albert Raiders)
Connor Hobbs (Regina Pats)
Noah Juulsen (Everett Silvertips)
Parker Wotherspoon (Tri-City Americans)

Forwards:

Tyler Benson (Vancouver Giants)
Dillon Dube (Kelowna Rockets)
Giorgio Estephan (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
Jansen Harkins (Prince George Cougars)
Brett Howden (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Nick Merkley (Kelowna Rockets)
Nolan Patrick (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Ty Ronning (Vancouver Giants)
Deven Sideroff (Kamloops Blazers)
Tyler Soy (Victoria Royals)
Sam Steel (Regina Pats)
Austin Wagner (Regina Pats)

Each of the three CHL member Leagues assembled a selection committee, working closely with Hockey Canada, to select the players for this year’s series. This year, Team WHL will be coached by Tim Hunter (Moose Jaw Warriors) who will also serve as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. Edmonton Oil Kings head coach Steve Hamilton will serve as assistant coach for Team WHL.

The six-game series features regional league teams of Canadian National Junior Team candidates competing against the Russian National Junior Team. For the third straight season, the event will open with two games in the WHL.

Since the event first began in 2003, CHL teams have played to an overall record of 54-18-6 against Team Russia.  The competitiveness of the rivalry has grown in recent years with four of the last six series decided in the final game.  Russia earned their first series victory in 2010 and have since alternated annual series victories with the CHL who earned the 2015 title by a 12-3 margin in points.

The event is an integral part of the identification process for Team Canada prior to the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.  Canada was represented at this season’s World Junior in Finland by 21 CHL players who competed in this series in 2015, while 13 members of Team Russia’s series entry also competed in Helsinki earning a second straight silver medal.

The 2016 CIBC Canada Russia series is supported by CHL associate sponsors Cooper Tire, autoTRADER.ca and Sherwin-Williams.  All games will be broadcast nationally on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.

2016 CIBC Canada Russia Series Schedule:

Game 1 – Monday November 7 at Prince George, BC

Game 2 – Tuesday November 8 at Edmonton, AB

Game 3 – Thursday November 10 at North Bay, ON

Game 4 – Monday November 14 at Hamilton, ON

Game 5 – Tuesday November 15 at Chicoutimi, QC

Game 6 – Thursday November 17 at Baie-Comeau, QC

For event information including how to purchase tickets please visit www.chlcanadarussia.ca.

Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced the appointment of Daniel Broussard as its Director of Player Recruitment.

A 25-year-old from Fayetteville, North Carolina, Broussard will be responsible for developing and implementing league recruitment strategy and activities, and liaising with Minor Midget teams across Ontario and parts of the United States.  He will work closely with Minor Midget players and families to provide them with information and education regarding the opportunities the OHL provides. Broussard will also work closely with the OHL Alumni Association developing ways to grow the program and its annual events.

“The OHL gave me an amazing opportunity not only as a player, but also as a student athlete,” said Broussard. “I was able to use my OHL Scholarship to pursue a University Degree, while at the same time competing at a high level of hockey in the CIS. I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with the next generation of players and their families to share with them all the OHL has to offer.”

Broussard was first introduced to the OHL as a member of the TPH Thunder competing in the 2007 OHL Cup Minor Midget Showcase Tournament.  After being selected in the fourth round of the 2007 OHL Priority Selection by the Sarnia Sting, Broussard made his OHL debut in 2008 and went on to play 218 regular season games including more than three full seasons in Sarnia before finishing his career in 2012 with the Ottawa 67’s.  Following his overage season, Broussard took advantage of his OHL Scholarship and stayed in Ontario to enroll at the University of Guelph.  The defenceman played three seasons with the Gryphons from 2012-15 and served as team captain his final year capturing an OUA Championship and University Cup Bronze.  He graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Marketing Management.

Broussard will commence his duties working out of the league office effective immediately.  He takes over for Adam Dennis who previously held the position for two seasons before joining the North Bay Battalion in the role of Assistant General Manager / Assistant Coach in August.