Hockey Canada unveiled the three Canadian rosters that will be competing at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Nov. 5 to 11 in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John.
And a pair of Burnaby Winter Club alum will enjoy wearing the black hats.
Sasha Mutala and Massimo Rizzo, both 16, were named to Canada’s Team Black roster, which opens the tournament Nov. 5 against Team Canada White.
Mutala is in his first season with the Western Hockey League’s Tri-City Americans, where he has posted a goal in 12 games. He was the sixth overall pick in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft.
A year ago, he counted 20 goals and 43 assists as a member of the major midget Greater Vancouver Canadians.
Rizzo, a Burnaby native, has contributed a pair of goals and four assists to start his rookie campaign with the B.C. Hockey League’s Penticton Vees. Rizzo was chosen 15th overall by Kamloops in the 2016 WHL draft.
With the BWC’s midget prep team last season, Rizzo tallied 22 goals and 62 assists.
Team Black’s Burnaby connections extend beyond the bench, with former NHLer Jason LaBarbera serving as the squad’s goaltending coach.
With the puck set to drop on the tournament in two weeks, the 66 players on the three teams will face competition from the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the United States in their quest for a gold medal.
The players were selected by Brad McEwen, Hockey Canada’s head scout, in consultation with under-17 Pursuit of Excellence management group lead Steve Staios and regional scouts.
“This has been a lengthy process from the initial 111 players invited to our summer development camp to narrowing it down to the 66 on our three teams,” said Shawn Bullock, Hockey Canada’s senior manager of hockey operations and men’s national teams.
“Our management group and scouting staff have assembled three competitive teams which will wear the Canadian jersey with pride at this prestigious, international competition.”
