Hockey Canada announced today that a total of nine players from the British Columbia Hockey League have been named to the pre-tournament camp roster for Team Canada West at the upcoming 2008 World Junior A Challenge in Camrose, Alberta.

The 25-man pre-tournament roster will be trimmed to 22 before the tournament begins.

Selected to the team were goaltender Kevin Genoe (Prince George Spruce Kings), defenceman Justin Schultz (Westside Warriors) and Matt Grassi (Salmon Arm Silverbacks) and forwards Derek Grant (Langley Chiefs), James Kerr (Alberni Valley Bulldogs), Curtis McKenzie (Penticton Vees), Denver Manderson (Pencticton Vees), Brodie Reid (Burnaby Express) and Travis Statchuk (Salmon Arm Silverbacks).

“The players that we have selected for Team Canada West are the ones that we feel will give us the best opportunity to win a third consecutive gold medal,” said head coach Boris Rybalka. “There are so many good players in the West, which made the selection process very difficult."

"We are excited to have narrowed the list down to the group of players who we feel will best represent our team in the 2008 World Junior A Challenge," he added. 

The selection process for Canada West involved extensive scouting by Rybalka, Strandberg and assistant coaches Rylan Ferster and Dwight McMillan, and included, for the first time, evaluation camps, with a camp held in Yorkton, SK for SJHL, MJHL and SIJHL hopefuls, and one in Sherwood Park, AB for AJHL talent.

“It brings me great pleasure to be able to announce the complete roster for Team Canada West today,” said general manager Leonard Strandberg. “The coaching staff has done a tremendous amount of scouting, and paid very close attention to the players we have in Western Canada. We are very confident that we have selected the best available players from this region to represent Team Canada West.”