Nolan Allan will be competing against the best players in his age group next month.
The 16-year-old rookie blueliner for the Prince Albert Raiders is among 66 players that will be on one of three Canadian teams at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, which will be held in Medicine Hat and Swift Current from Nov. 2 to 9.
Allan, who is from Davidson, has two points in nine games this season and scored his first career Western Hockey League goal on Saturday in an 8-4 win over the Moose Jaw Warriors at the Art Hauser Centre.
The third overall pick in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft had 35 points in 39 regular season games for the Saskatoon Blazers of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League last year.
He went on to lead the league in playoff scoring with 21 points in 13 games.
This marks the third straight season that the Raiders will have a player at the tournament.
Kaiden Guhle and Ozzy Wiesblatt both competed at last year’s event in Saint John and Quispamsis, N.B., while current Prince George Cougars blueliner Rhett Rhinehart won a silver medal with Canada at the 2016 competition in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C.
Allan is one of two Saskatchewan players that will take part in the tournament, with the other being Medicine Hat Tigers forward and Regina product Cole Sillinger.
The headline attractions on Canada’s roster are underage forwards Shane Wright and Matthew Savoie.
Wright has nine points in nine games with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs, while Savoie has yet to record a point in three games with the Winnipeg Ice and has 20 points in seven games for the Rink Hockey Academy’s prep program.
Team WHL Announced
Although no Prince Albert Raiders were named to the initial Team WHL roster for the Canada Russia Series, there are a couple of local connections.
Former Raiders forward Cole Fonstad, along with Prince Albert product and Brandon Wheat Kings blueliner Braden Schneider, were both named to the team that will compete in Saskatoon and Prince Albert on Nov. 14 and 15.
Fonstad, who was traded to the Everett Silvertips on Sunday, has 12 points in 10 games this year after scoring a goal and picking up two assists in a 3-2 win over the Wheat Kings on Wednesday in his home debut for his new side.
Schneider, who took part in Canada’s World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan, has four points in nine games this season.
The rest of the Team WHL side is as follows:
Goaltenders
- Joel Hofer (Portland Winterhawks)
- Nolan Maier (Saskatoon Blades)
Defencemen
- Calen Addison (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
- Bowen Byram (Vancouver Giants)
- Kaedan Korczak (Kelowna Rockets)
- Ty Smith (Spokane Chiefs – Only player on the team who played for Canada at the 2019 World Juniors)
- Jett Woo (Calgary Hitmen)
Forwards
- Adam Beckman (Spokane Chiefs)
- Luka Burzan (Brandon Wheat Kings)
- Ryan Chyzowski (Medicine Hat Tigers)
- Dylan Cozens (Lethbridge Hurricanes)
- Kirby Dach (Saskatoon Blades – Currently playing with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs)
- Carson Focht (Calgary Hitmen)
- Nolan Foote (Kelowna Rockets)
- Dillon Hamaliuk (Kelowna Rockets)
- Peyton Krebs (Winnipeg Ice – Currently rehabbing an off-season Achilles injury)
- Brayden Tracey (Moose Jaw Warriors)
- Connor Zary (Kamloops Blazers)
Wednesday’s Scores
- Everett 3 Brandon 2 (Cole Fonstad – One Goal and Two Assists)
- Kelowna 3 Swift Current 2 (Nolan Foote Overtime Winner – Two Goals and One Assist)
