12 CSSHL Alumni Named to Team Canada U17

12 former Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) student-athletes have been selected to represent Team Canada at the 2024 U17 World Challenge.

The tournament, which is set to take place November 3-9 at Progressive Auto Sales Arena in Sarnia, ON, will see 44 players represent Team Canada White and Team Canada Red.

Among the 44 players selected are 15 from the WHL, 12 of which played in the CSSHL including 2023 and 2024 WHL Draft first overall picks Daxon Rudolph and Landon DuPont. After joining fellow CSSHL alumnus Connor Bedard as the only two players in WHL History to receive Exceptional Status, DuPont is the lone 2009 born player on the Team Canada rosters.

The 12 CSSHL alumni represent six different CSSHL member programs: Okanagan Hockey Academy (3), RHA Kelowna (3), Edge School (2), Northern Alberta Xtreme (2), Delta Hockey Academy, and Pilot Mound Hockey Academy.

Canada Red:

  • Carson Carels, Prince George Cougars (Pilot Mound Hockey Academy)
  • Landon DuPont, Everett Silvertips (Edge School)
  • Joe Iginla, Edmonton Oil Kings (RHA Kelowna)
  • Cruz Pavao, Tri-City Americans (Edge School)

Canada White:

  • Riley Boychuk, Prince Albert Raiders (Northern Alberta Xtreme)
  • Ryan Lin, Vancouver Giants (Delta Hockey Academy)
  • Liam Ruck, Medicine Hat Tigers (Okanagan Hockey Academy)
  • Giorgos Pantelas, Brandon Wheat Kings (RHA Kelowna)
  • Mathis Preston, Spokane Chiefs (Okanagan Hockey Academy)
  • Markus Ruck, Medicine Hat Tigers (Okanagan Hockey Academy)
  • Daxon Rudolph, Prince Albert Raiders (Northern Alberta Xtreme)
  • Keaton Verhoeff, Victoria Royals (RHA Kelowna)

This will be the second time Lin, Preston, L. Ruck, M. Ruck, Rudolph, and Verhoeff represent Team Canada, having previously done so at the 2024 Youth Olympics.

The 2024 U17 World Challenge kicks off on November 3, with Canada White taking on Czechia at 3:30 p.m. ET and Canada Red facing off against Finland at 7:30 p.m. ET. Teams will play two preliminary-round games before the medal round, which concludes on Nov. 9 with the medal games, as well as the fifth-place game. The event will also feature pre-tournament games in Sarnia, Petrolia and Forest on November 1.

The 2023 U17 World Challenge saw 13 CSSHL alumni compete for Team Canada Red and White.