He'll have the weight of a hometown crowd on his back, and the weight of a letter on his chest.
Prince George Cougars forward Brett Connolly has been named as an assistant captain for the Subway Super Series game Thursday night at CN Centre. Connolly will be part of a WHL all-star team that will take on the Russian Selects in the sixth and final game of the junior hockey showcase.
"It's pretty neat to have the game in my home town in Prince George and for them to want me to wear a letter is pretty cool too," said Connolly, a top prospect of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning. "It's a big accomplishment and I'm pretty proud of that."
Connolly, the sixth-overall selection in the 2010 NHL entry draft, is leading the Cougars in offensive production this season. He has 15 goals and 25 points in 21 games.
Team WHL will be captained by Cody Eakin of the Swift Current Broncos. Eakin, a 2009 third-round draft pick of the Washington Capitals, has 11 goals and 21 points in 18 games with the Broncos.
The other assistant captains will be Tyson Barrie of the Kelowna Rockets and Matt MacKenzie of the Calgary Hitmen.
As of Monday night, a limited number of tickets were still available for the game. Tickets can be purchased at the CN Centre Ticketmaster, or online (www.ticketmaster.ca).
