Hitmen rookie makes Team Pacific

Calgary Hitmen rookie forward Greg Chase will play for Team Pacific at the at the 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, December 29, 2011 – January 4, 2012 in Windsor, Ontario.  Chase, the lone 16-year-old on the Hitmen roster, was a first round Bantam Pick of the club, taken 22nd overall in the 2010 draft.

Team Pacific is comprised of 11 players from BC and 11 players from Alberta. Each province held a provincial camp over the summer to identify a set number of players. These players were evaluated during the first part of the club team season by a selected group of high performance evaluators.

Click here to see the entire Team Pacific Roster

The 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge will bring together the top players in the world born in 1995 or later. The tournament is made up of 10 teams; five (5) 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 (5) International teams - Germany, Sweden, Russia, Czech Republic and the United States.

Team Pacific has included some of the top hockey players that Canada has ever produced.  Some notable graduates who have competed on Team Pacific include:

• Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 2010
• Joe Sakic, Team Pacific 1986
• Jarome Iginla, Team Pacific 1994
• Brent Seabrook, Team Pacific 2002
• Dion Phaneuf, Team Pacific 2002
• Mike Green, Team Pacific 2002
• Evander Kane, Team Pacific 2008

The Under 17 program is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence.  Many players who compete at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge go on to represent Canada with the National Men’s Under 18 Team, National Junior Team and National Men’s Team.

At the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Winnipeg, Manitoba Team Pacific finished third winning the bronze medal.