Four T-Birds named to Team West for World U17 Hockey Challenge

Hockey Manitoba and the Saskatchewan Hockey Association have named two Seattle Thunderbirds and two prospects to the 22-player roster that will represent Team West at the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Dec. 29-Jan. 4 in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

The four players are right wing Keegan Kolesar, defenseman Ethan Bear, center Lane Pederson and goalie Logan Flodell.

Kolesar has one goal and three assists for four points with eight penalty minutes in 21 games for the T-Birds this season. Bear has one goal and three assists for four points with two penalty minutes in 17 games this season.

Flodell, who is playing for the Regina Pat Canadians in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA league, has a 5-2-2 record with a 2.28 goals against average and a .922 save percentage in nine games.

Pederson, who is with the Saskatoon Blazers in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA league, has seven goals and eight assists in 15 games.

Pederson and Flodell were at T-Birds training camp this fall.

The World U17 Hockey Challenge brings together top players in the world born in 1997 or later. The tournament is made up of 10 teams; five from Canada – Quebec, Ontario, Pacific (Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Yukon), Atlantic (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island) and West (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nunavut) and five international teams – Sweden, Russia, Czech Republic, Germany and the United States.

Team West will be competing in Group A at the World U17 Hockey Challenge with Team Pacific, Team Quebec, Sweden and Czech Republic. Group B will comprise of Germany, USA, Team Ontario, Team Atlantic and Russia.

T-Birds center Mathew Barzal was named to Team Pacific on Thursday.