Brett Connolly has achieved his dream.
The Prince George minor hockey product, also the captain of the Prince George Cougars, found out early Wednesday he had made the final roster for Canada's entry in the prestigious world junior hockey championship, which starts on Boxing Day in Buffalo.
Canada will open the tournament with a game against Russia.Connolly, an 18-year-old who was the sixth-overall selection in the 2010 NHL entry draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, was not among the nine players released Wednesday as head coach Dave Cameron got down to the final list of 22.Connolly is the first Prince George raised player to make the national junior team since Stewart Malgunas represented Canada nearly 20 years ago.
Earlier in the selection camp process in Toronto, Ryan Howse of Prince George, who plays for the Chilliwack Bruins, was returned to his junior team.Connolly made the team despite not being invited to the summer evaluation camp, a decision made largely because he missed most of the 2009-10 WHL season with hip injuries. After being named the Western Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League rookie-of-the-year as a 16-year-old, Connolly played just 16 games in his draft year, yet was still seen by the Lightning as a blue-chip NHL prospect.
Connolly will be trying to accomplish a first -- no Prince George Cougars player has ever been part of a gold-medal national junior team. Players such as Tyler Bouck, Blair Betts, Eric Brewer and Dan Hamhuis were on teams that fell short of the golden goal.Connolly is one of nine WHL players on the team, and also one of 15 first-round NHL draft choices to make the roster.
In 30 games for the Cougars this season, he has 22 goals and 14 assists, leading the team with 36 points -- just one point ahead of defenceman Martin Marincin, who will play for Slovakia at the world juniors. Marincin left the Cougars on Wednesday morning to join his national team's camp.The Team Canada cuts on Wednesday included Seattle Thunderbirds goaltender Calvin Pickard, Red Deer Rebels forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oil Kings blueliner Mark Pysyk and Everett Silvertips defenceman Ryan Murray.
