Local players representing Canada in U16 ball hockey championship
In less than two weeks, 11 local players will dawn the maple leaf and represent Canada at the 2024 International Street and Ball Hockey Federation U16 World Championship in Žilina, Slovakia.
Team Canada selected seven players from last year’s U15 national ball hockey champion Guelph Cyclones, and four players from the national finalist KW Rangers.
“I was ecstatic,” Cyclones defenceman Rowan Reynard told CTV News. “I just couldn’t believe I made the team.”
Each local athlete plays AA and AAA ice hockey during the winter and turns to ball hockey during the offseason.
“It’s just fun for the guys because they get to deke around and fool around a little bit,” said goaltender Brock Schaus.
For many it will be their first trip to Europe and a chance to reconnect with current and former teammates. Reynard and Schaus go back a number of years after playing together on the same ice hockey team.
“They all go their separate ways in the winter and play ice hockey for their respective teams and then they come back to play ball hockey,” said KW Minor Ball Hockey president Dave Leitch. “Together we’ve created a pretty tight group.”
The team departs for Slovakia on June 29th with the tournament kicking off on July 4th. Each squad will open with round robin play with hopes of advancing to the knockout rounds.
When it comes to expectations, the players only have their sights set on the ultimate prize.
“Gold medal or bust,” forward Brody Straus told CTV News. “That’s the plan going into it. Gold or go home.”
Wearing the maple leaf isn’t being taken for granted. Dave Leitch calls playing on the world stage an unforgettable experience, saying “they’re going to be a little bit surprised when they hear their national anthem for the first time.”
Leitch’s son Matthew is another Team Canada selection after helping the KW Rangers to the U15 nationals final. He says the team is bent on defending Canada’s national pride, while forming bonds that will last a lifetime.
“We’re going to be lifeline friends with everyone and we’ll never forget this,” Leitch said. “It’s going to be awesome.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian family stuck in Lebanon anxiously awaits flight options amid Israeli strikes
A Canadian man who is trapped in Lebanon with his family says they are anxiously waiting for seats on a flight out of the country, as a barrage of Israeli airstrikes continues.
Suspect in shooting of Toronto cop was out on bail
A 21-year-old man who was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a Toronto police officer this week was out on bail at the time of the alleged offence, court documents obtained by CTV News Toronto show.
Scientists looked at images from space to see how fast Antarctica is turning green. Here's what they found
Parts of icy Antarctica are turning green with plant life at an alarming rate as the region is gripped by extreme heat events, according to new research, sparking concerns about the changing landscape on this vast continent.
DEVELOPING 2 dead after fire rips through historic building in Old Montreal
At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building near Montreal's City Hall, sources told Noovo Info.
Yazidi woman captured by ISIS rescued in Gaza after more than a decade in captivity
A 21-year-old Yazidi woman has been rescued from Gaza where she had been held captive by Hamas for years after being trafficked by ISIS.
A 6-year-old girl was kidnapped in Arkansas in 1995. Almost 30 years later, a suspect was identified
Nearly 30 years after a six-year-old girl disappeared in Western Arkansas, authorities have identified a suspect in her abduction through DNA evidence.
Dolphins 'smile' at each other when they play and to avoid misunderstanding, study finds
For humans, flashing a smile is an easy way to avoid misunderstanding. And, according to a new study, bottlenose dolphins may use a similar tactic while playing with each other.
Pit bulls in B.C. pet mauling tested positive for meth, cocaine, says city
Three pit bulls involved in a deadly attack on another dog last month in Kamloops, B.C., tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine, and the city is going to court to have them put down.
Tax rebate: Canadians with low to modest incomes to receive payment on Friday
Canadians who are eligible for a GST/HST tax credit can expect their final payment of the year on Friday.