Latest news with #WorldUnder-17HockeyChallenge
Ottawa Citizen
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Sudbury Wolves first-rounder Brayden Bennett named to national U17 camp
When Hockey Canada drops the puck on its national under-17 development camp this weekend, no players will relish the opportunity more than Brayden Bennett. Article content The hard-working centreman from Ottawa has plenty to be thankful for, after all, even after his major-junior draft year was cut short by a broken collarbone back in mid-January. Article content Article content Not only did the now 16-year-old Ottawa native become a first-round pick of the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL Priority Selection this past April, signing with the team a few days later, but he also earned recognition from Hockey Canada on Thursday as one of 79 players selected to attend the annual U17 camp, to be held in Oakville, Ont. from July 19 to 23. Article content Article content 'I'm just super pumped,' said the 5-foot-11, 188-pounder, who played this past season for the Toronto Titans U16 AAA squad. Article content Article content 'I know I talk about my injury a lot, but this is really big for me and I'm excited to showcase that I have been working really hard in the gym. It would be such an honour if I could make this team and represent my country.' Article content The camp is a key step in the selection process for Canada's two entries in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, to be hosted in Truro, N.S. from Oct. 31 to Nov. 8. A final roster for that event is to be announced by mid-October. Article content 'Controlling the controllables — just do what I do, try not to put any pressure on myself and kind of relax and work hard,' Bennett said of his mindset for the Oakville camp. 'I'll show up to the rink with a smile on my face and a positive attitude and I think things will go well.' Article content Bennett isn't the only U17 camp participant with local ties. Wolves head coach Scott Barney was named on Tuesday as bench boss for Canada White, while Sudbury product Benoit Roy will serve as director of hockey operations. Article content Article content 'I'm working hard in the gym and on the ice and pushing a little extra this off-season,' Bennett said. 'Like I said before, the OHL is bigger and stronger and with my injury, it set me back a little bit, so I have been really pushing and I'm going to keep going, so I can have a big summer.' Article content After a series of physiotherapy sessions, the son of Steve and Julie Bennett has focused on strength training to regain muscle. He trains at Fitquest in Stittsville. Article content 'I'm also continuing to work on skating, those first three steps, getting more powerful and working on my explosiveness and stability,' Bennett added. Article content Selected 11th overall in the OHL draft, Bennett travelled to the Nickel City with his family the following week to tour the Wolves' home rink and city and to ink his commitment to the club. He returned in May for prospect orientation camp, alongside fellow draftees from the 2009 and 2008 birth years and a handful of 2007s, as well as a group of free-agent invitees.
Ottawa Citizen
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Sudbury Wolves coach Scott Barney to lead Canada White at U17 challenge
Article content Article content Sudbury Wolves head coach Scott Barney is headed back to the international stage, this time for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Article content Hockey Canada announced its coaches on Tuesday for both the U17 challenge, to be held in Truro, N.S. from Oct. 31 to Nov. 8, and the U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, to be staged in Czechia and Slovakia from Aug. 11 to 16. Article content Barney, a 46-year-old native of Oshawa, will serve as head coach for Canada White, while Ryan McDonald of the Prince Albert Raiders will be head coach for Canada Red. Article content Article content 'Any time you're able to represent your country on this stage and coach the elite U17 kids in all of Canada, it's just a great challenge,' said Barney, reached later on Tuesday evening. 'And to represent the Wolves as an organization and the city, I'm excited this week to get going with the camp.' Article content Article content Eighty players will gather in Oakville, Ont. for a national development camp, running July 19-23. Article content It won't be Barney's first time representing his home nation as a coach. Prior to joining the Wolves last year, he led Canada West to gold at the 2023 World Junior A Challenge, also held in Truro. Article content 'You have the ability to work with the best of the best and you form a team in a tournament atmosphere,' Barney said. 'Working with different staff from all over Canada, you get to know them inside and out, what makes them tick, and you get to know some of these players personally. That's important, as well, and you can use that when you're coaching your players back home and vice versa.' Article content Article content Camp participants will include some of the top prospects for many OHL clubs, selected in the early rounds of the draft this past April. A roster, divided into four teams, is to be released this week. Article content 'You get to see their ability to adapt quickly,' Barney said. 'At the World Junior A Challenge, we ended up changing our systems halfway through the tournament and won the gold medal. Article content 'The players and the whole coaching staff, you're all in for the time you're there, and obviously, your end goal is to win a gold medal.' Article content Barney joined the Wolves in June of last year, following a successful six-year run with the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, and led the local OHLers to a record of 32-31-5-0. Article content Prior to his move behind the bench, Barney won an OHL title with the Peterborough Petes in 1996, then embarked on a lengthy professional career that included parts of three seasons in the NHL and multiple championships overseas.
Ottawa Citizen
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
P.E.I. hockey coach realizes goal
Article content After two years in Grand Falls, the Mooseheads offered MacKenzie an assistant coaching position. MacKenzie could not turn down the opportunity to join one of flagship franchises in Canadian major-junior hockey. Article content 'A storied franchise like this with such a legacy, a tremendous fan base and a lot of rich history, I'm really thrilled and feel honoured to be able to (be named head coach),' said MacKenzie, who also has international coaching experience as an assistant coach with a Canadian team at the 2024 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Article content MacKenzie, a longtime employee of the Charlottetown-based Andrews Hockey Growth Programs, said he's been fortunate to learn things from all five head coaches – Lord, Sylvain Favreau (Mooseheads), Jim Midgley (Mooseheads), Jim Hulton (Islanders) and Forbie MacPherson (UPEI Panthers) – he's worked under in recent years. Article content Article content 'Obviously, at the end of the day, I'm going to be myself and my own person, but you take things from all those coaches that you got a chance to work for (previously),' said MacKenzie. 'Then, also to include the Hockey Canada experience that I had last year and the opportunity to meet some new coaches there again and with another head coach (Travis Crickard of the Saint John Sea Dogs), I learned a lot. I think all those experiences helped me to be ready for this one.' Article content Advantages Article content MacKenzie feels there are advantages to moving up to head coach with the same organization he's already worked with. Article content 'Obviously, the first is the relationships that are already existing with the players,' said MacKenzie. 'All of the players, I know where they're at right now and their current development paths. I know what their strengths are and their weaknesses. Article content Article content 'I know you know how to motivate these guys and everybody's different, so it kind of gives you a head start in that regard.' Article content However, MacKenzie pointed out there will be some challenges as well. Article content 'The relationships you have with the players as an assistant coach are different than that of a head coach, so that'll be a challenge early on,' said MacKenzie. 'There will be an adjustment for myself, but also for the players – now they have a guy they had as an assistant coach last season who's now calling the shots of the head guy.' Article content MacKenzie said the Mooseheads will add one assistant coach to round out the coaching staff. Assistant coach Morgan MacDonald of Little Pond, P.E.I., and goalie coach Charles Grant are returning. MacDonald is a former captain of the MHL's Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals and worked with MacKenzie in Grand Falls.
Winnipeg Free Press
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Braeden Cootes signs entry-level deal with Canucks after being drafted 15th overall
VANCOUVER – Forward Braeden Cootes has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver selected Cootes in the first round, 15th overall, of this year's NHL Entry Draft. Cootes, 18, completed his third season with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League in 2024-25. He had 26 goals and 37 assists in 60 games with 18 penalty minutes and a plus-5 defensive rating. Cootes was named Seattle's co-captain on Nov. 22, 2024, and took over the Thunderbirds' captaincy on Jan. 4. He led all Thunderbirds players in assists and points, while tying for second on the team in goals throughout the regular season. The five-foot-11, 183-pound centre has played in 131 career WHL games, all with Seattle. He has a total of 40 goals and 59 assists over his major junior career. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Raised in Sherwood Park, Alta., Cootes has represented Canada on the international stage on numerous occasions, including the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge; 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, winning gold; and the 2025 U18 world championships, serving as the team's captain and capturing gold. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2025.
Ottawa Citizen
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Kohyn Eshkawkogan reflects on adjustment to OHL, cultural sharing
Kohyn Eshkawkogan's rookie season in the OHL was very much an education, both for the Manitoulin Island product and for the Ottawa 67's. Article content A skilled defenceman and a proud member of M'Chigeeng First Nation, Eshkawkogan not only proved to be a stellar student of the junior game, but also took on the role of teacher by introducing his coaches and teammates to his Anishinabek culture and history. Article content Article content Eshkawkogan was named recently as a member of the OHL First All-Rookie Team, as chosen by general managers across the 20-team league. Article content Article content 'It was an honour,' said the 16-year-old rearguard, reached earlier this week at his residence in Vaughan. Article content 'It was good recognition, but I've still got lots of work to do to get to the end goal I want to, which playing in the NHL.' Article content He's certainly off to a strong start. A standout for the Manitoulin Panthers and the Nickel City Sons minor hockey organizations before making the move south to suit up for the Mississauga Reps and the North York Rangers AAA rep squads, the son of Kevin Eshkawkogan and Melissa Biedermann was Ottawa's first-round pick, 21st overall, in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection — the first player from Manitoulin to hear his name called in the opening round of the long-running draft. Article content One of the youngest players in his draft class with a mid-November birth date, the right-shooting 5-foot-11, 180-pounder was undaunted by the step up in competition. He suited up for 52 games in 2024-25, recording four goals and 16 assists. Article content Article content 'I would say one of the steps I took was the speed of my game, getting faster with the league, and also understanding where guys are going to be and reading the play to make plays,' Eshkawkogan told The Sudbury Star. Article content 'It took me about two weeks to feel comfortable, to get used to the speed of the game and after that, I felt that I was able to play there.' Article content He credited the Ottawa staff, led by decorated veteran Dave Cameron, and his older teammates for helping him adjust to the pace and physicality of major-junior play. Article content 'The coaching staff and the group valued me as a player and as a person,' Eshkawkogan added. 'Once they're comfortable with you and they trust you, you should have no problem.' Article content Among several highlights were his naming to the Canada Red roster for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in November, during which he recorded two assists in four games to help secure a silver medal, as well as his recognition as the OHL's East Division Scholastic Player of the Month for December. A two-week road trip around Christmastime allowed for some additional bonding time with teammates.
