A pair of Abbotsford hockey products have been named to Canada’s Men’s Under-18 Team for the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship, which runs from April 23 to May 1 in Germany.
Abbotsford talents Brayden Schuurman and Grayden Siepmann have both been added to the 25-player roster.
Schuurman, a forward with the Western Hockey League’s Victoria Royals, is having an excellent sophomore season in the WHL and has collected 54 points in 68 games.
He was second on the Royals in team scoring and was named the WHL’s player of the week for the week ending on Oct. 10. Schuurman and the Royals failed to qualify for the WHL playoffs.
The Yale Hockey Academy and Abbotsford Minor Hockey Association product was a fourth round (69th overall) selection of the Royals in the 2019 WHL Draft. He was ranked 58th in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings of the top 2022 draft eligible North American skaters.
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Siepmann, a defenceman with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, collected 25 points in 66 games in 2021-22. He led all Hitmen defenceman in scoring and recorded eight power play points.
Like the Royals, the Hitmen failed to qualify for the WHL playoffs.
Siepmann was chosen in the first round, 13th overall by Calgary in the 2019 WHL Draft. The YHA and AMHA product was ranked 139th in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings of the top 2022 draft eligible North American skaters.
A total of three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 14 forwards were announced to the team on April 18.
“We are excited to unveil the 25 players that will wear the Maple Leaf at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship and take on the challenge of winning a second-consecutive gold medal,” said the team’s director of player personnel Alan Millar. “For many of these players, this is the first time they will represent their country in international competition, and we know they are excited for the opportunity to compete on the world stage.”
Canada will open the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship against the United States on April 23 at 10:30 a.m. PT, and will also take host Germany on April 24 and Czechia on April 26. All games will be broadcast on TSN.
For more information visit hockeycanada.ca.
The 🇨🇦 roster is set for #U18Worlds!
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) April 18, 2022
2️⃣5️⃣ players will wear the 🍁 and look to defend gold in Germany starting April 23.
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