Jansen Harkins is officially on Hockey Canada's radar as a potential candidate for the world junior team.
That was confirmed Wednesday when the Western Hockey League announced the 19-year-old Prince George Cougars centre has been picked for Team WHL to play in the CIBC Canada Russia Series, which starts with a game at CN Centre on Monday, Nov. 7.
Like the Cougars, who sport the league's best record at 10-2-1-0, Harkins is off to a great start in his fourth WHL season. He's producing at better than a point-per-game pace with one goal and seven assists in eight games.
"I'm just really excited, it's really cool to be playing in those games, just to be a part of it is a big honour," said Harkins, who is closing in on the Cougars' career scoring records for assists and points. "I'm just going to embrace it and enjoy it as much as I can but at the same time just to try to get ready. It obviously adds to the excitement to be home in Prince George and have some home fans hopefully cheering for us.
"I know most of the guys on the team from growing up and playing in the league. It's going to be a great group of guys and hopefully we can do well together."
The Cleveland-born, North Vancouver-raised Harkins missed the Cats' first five games this season while he was playing for the Winnipeg Jets, who drafted him in the second round in 2015. He's been a big part of the Cougars' surge to the top of the WHL heap.
"Jansen Harkins is an elite player in this league and we couldn't be happier for him," said Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk. "It's well-deserved. He works hard and, talking to Winnipeg, he had a really good NHL camp. It's just a matter of him growing into being a pro.
"The Canada-Russia rivalry is one of the very best in all of sports and to have one of our own players get the chance to represent his country and the Prince George Cougars is a big deal and I know he'll seize the opportunity and be a big contributor for Team WHL."
The series is considered an key part of the identification process for picking the national under-20 team. Twenty-one Canadians picked for last year's series went on to play for Canada in the IIHF world junior (under-20) tournament, while 13 Russian players represented their country in the tournament in Helsinki, leading Russia to the silver medal.
Although Harkins is the only Prince George on the WHL roster, Matvichuk says that does not rule out the chances of more Cougars earning invitations to the world junior training camp.
"You always hope as a coach you get as many players as you can on that team and we have one, that's Jansen," said Matvichuk. "Now is the time that the guys who didn't get selected, they might have to work a little harder or do something a little different to be recognized to make sure they're able to go to the national camp in December,."
The head coaching reins for Team WHL will be handed to Tim Hunter, head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors. Steve Hamilton of the Edmonton Oil Kings will serve as the assistant coach.
Brian Cheeseman, head athletic therapist for the Edmonton Oil Kings and Canada's world junior team in 2017, who will work both games. Cougars equipment manager Ramandeep (Chico) Singh Dhanjal and Craig Hyslop, the Cougars' athletic therapist, will work alongside Cheeseman for the game at CN Centre.
Tickets are available at the CN Centre box office and all Ticketmaster outlets.
The game in Prince George will be the first of two games between the WHL stars and the Russians. They will meet again the following night, Tuesday, Nov. 8 in Edmonton. The Russians also play the Ontario Hockey League selects in North Bay, Nov. 10 and in Hamilton, Nov. 14. The series concludes with two games against the stars of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Nov. 15 in Chicoutimi and Nov. 17 in Baie-Comeau.
All games will be broadcast live on Sportsnet.
Since the first Canada-Russia series in 2003, CHL teams have compiled a 54-18-6 record against the Russian teams. The Russians won the series for the first time in 2010 and also claimed victory in 2012 and 2014. The CHL won four of the six games last year.
Team WHL roster
(players listed with hometown, date of birth, WHL team and NHL draft status)
Forwards
Tyler BensonEdmonton15-Mar-1997 Vancouver Giants EDM 2016 (Round 2, 32nd)
Dillon Dube Cochrane, AB 20-Jul-1998 Kelowna Rockets CGY 2016 (Round 2, 56th)
Giorgio Estephan Edmonton 3-Feb-1997 Lethbridge Hurricanes BUF 2015 (Round 6, 152nd)
Jansen Harkins North Vancouver 23-May-1997 Prince George Cougars WPG 2015 (Round 2, 47th)
Brett Howden Oakbank, MB 29-Mar-1998 Moose Jaw Warriors TBL 2016 (Round 1, 27th)
Nick Merkley Calgary23-May-1997 Kelowna Rockets ARI 2015 (Round 1, 30th)
Nolan Patrick Winnipeg 19-Sep-1998 Brandon Wheat Kings Eligible 2017
Ty Ronning Burnaby 20-Oct-1997 Vancouver Giants NYR 2016 (Round 7, 201st)
Deven Sideroff Summerland 14-Apr-1997 Kamloops Blazers ANA 2015 (Round 3, 84th)
Tyler Soy Cloverdale 10-Feb-1997 Victoria Royals ANA 2016 (Round 7, 205th)
Sam Steel Sherwood Park, AB 3-Feb-1998 Regina Pats ANA 2016 (Round 1, 30th)
Austin Wagner Calgary 23-Jun-1997 Regina Pats LAK 2015 (Round 4, 99th)
Defencemen
Kale Clague Lloydminster, AB 5-Jun-1998 Brandon Wheat Kings LAK 2016 (Round 2, 51st)
Cal Foote Engelwood, Colo.* 13-Dec-1998 Kelowna Rockets Eligible 2017
Brendan Guhle Sherwood Park, AB 29-Jul-1997 Prince Albert Raiders BUF 2015 (Round 2, 51st)
Connor Hobbs Saskatoon, SK 4-Jan-1997 Regina Pats WSH 2015 (Round 5, 143th)
Noah Juulsen Abbotsford 2-Apr-1997 Everett Silvertips MTL 2015 (Round 1, 26th)
Parker Wotherspoon Surrey 24-Aug-1997 Tri-City Americans NYI 2015 (Round 4, 112th)
*Dual citizen
Goaltenders
Carter Hart Sherwood Park, AB 12-Aug-1998 Everett Silvertips PHI 2016 (Round 2, 48th)
Connor Ingram Imperial, SK 31-Mar-1997 Kamloops Blazers TB 2016 (Round 3, 88th)
