Nineteen Western Hockey League players or league drafts will try to help B.C. win a second gold medal in the last three tournaments when they suit up for the province at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer.
The final roster was announced Wednesday.
The WHL will be represented by two goaltenders, six defencemen, and 11 forwards on the province’s roster at the Games, which run from Feb. 15 to March 3. Men’s hockey starts Feb. 16 and the gold-medal game will go Feb. 22.
Western Hockey League 2018 Bantam Draft fifth overall selection Logan Stankoven of Kamloops (drafted by Kamloops Blazers) and Steel Quiring of Vernon (Kelowna Rockets) will be counted on to lead British Columbia offensively.
Stankoven has 48 points (26G-22A) in 20 games for the Thompson Blazers of the British Columbia Major Midget AAA Hockey League. Quiring has collected 24 points (9G-15A) through his first 17 games with the Major Midget League’s Okanagan Rockets.
Including Stankoven, five first-round selections from the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft are on B.C.’s roster for the tournament: defencemen Nolan Bentham (Victoria/ Victoria Royals) and Graham Sward (Abbotsford / Spokane Chiefs) as well as forwards Jake Chiasson (Abbotsford/ Brandon Wheat Kings) and Trevor Wong (Vancouver / Kelowna Rockets)
Four different WHL teams have a trio of prospects on B.C.’s roster at the tournament: Edmonton Oil Kings, Kamloops Blazers, Kelowna Rockets, and Victoria Royals are all tied among teams with the most prospects at the tournament. The Swift Current Broncos have a pair of players on B.C.’s team. The Brandon Wheat Kings, Calgary Hitmen, Everett Silvertips, Seattle Thunderbirds, and Spokane Chiefs each have a single player on the team at the tournament.
British Columbia opens the tournament Saturday, Feb. 16 against Manitoba, followed by games against Saskatchewan and Alberta.
The province’s history in men’s hockey at the Canada Winter Games includes two medals of each colour, with their last medal a golden performance at the 2011 edition of the tournament in Halifax, N.S.
TEAM BC
Position Name Hometown Team Draft Round Overall Selection
G Keegan Maddocks Langley, BC Victoria Royals 8 – 165
G Thomas Milic Coquitlam, BC Seattle Thunderbirds 3 – 51
D Nolan Bentham Victoria, BC Victoria Royals 1 – 13
D Elias Carmichael Langley, BC Kelowna Rockets 2 – 40
D Tyson Galloway Kamloops, BC Calgary Hitmen 2 – 25
D Ty Gibson Victoria, BC Everett Silvertips 3 – 64
D Jack O’Brien Surrey, B.C. Swift Current Broncos Listed
D Graham Sward Abbotsford, BC Spokane Chiefs 1 – 17
F Michael Abgrall Richmond, BC Edmonton Oil Kings 4 – 67
F Caedan Bankier Surrey, BC Kamloops Blazers 3 – 49
F Jake Chiasson Abbotsford, BC Brandon Wheat Kings 1 – 15
F Cage Newans Qualicum Beach, BC Victoria Royals 7 – 147
F Carson Latimer Surrey, BC Edmonton Oil Kings 3 – 48
F Trevor Wong Vancouver, BC Kelowna Rockets 1 – 18
F Steel Quiring Vernon, BC Kelowna Rockets 5 – 89
F Matthew Seminoff Coquitlam, BC Kamloops Blazers 5 -93
F Logan Stankoven Kamloops, BC Kamloops Blazers 1 – 5
F Kobe Verbicky Victoria, BC Edmonton Oil Kings 2 – 23
F Finlay Williams North Vancouver, BC Swift Current Broncos 3 -54
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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