The Zone 7 North East team for the 2016 Alberta Winter Games will have a local flavour too it as four members of the Lakeland Peewee AA Panthers have been selected to the squad.
Goaltender Emmett Croteau, defenceman Cameron Emigh and forwards Tyler Bloch and Caden Cabana were named to the Zone 7 team roster for the upcoming provincial peewee hockey tournament in February.
“I think we will have a pretty good team and we will do well in the tournament,” said Blocha, whose 17 goals and 4 assists make him one of the top scorers on the roster.
Blocha, along with his Panthers teammates, were among 60 players who attended a try-out camp in Viking from Nov. 27 to 29.
The camp saw players from all over northeastern Alberta convene in one community to try and make the regional squad. Top-notch talent from Bonnyville, Cold Lake, Czar, Fort McMurray, Fort Saskatchewan, Lac La Biche, Lloydminster, Provost are represented on the squad.
"We're very impressed with the level of talent displayed at this year's selection camps," said Dustin Moore, coordinator for Team Alberta. "Choosing just 20 players for each team is never easy, but we're excited for these athletes to take a big step forward in their development and take part in a provincial event like the Alberta Winter Games."
Former Cold Lake Ice head coach Neil Langridge was one of the coaches tasked with selecting the Zone 7 team. Langridge, who has gone through several Jr. B selection camps, was in for a different experience choosing this roster.
“We had 60 players that I have never seen play before from all over northeastern Alberta. It was definitely different,” said Langridge, an assistant coach with the Zone 7 team.
“It was a tough process to get down to that final 20 players that is for sure.”
The large group of talented 12-year-olds from across the region was widdled down to a small roster of two goalies, six defenseman and 12 forwards.
One of those two goalies is Bonnyville's Emmett Croteau, a young netminder who crafts his game after his favourite player – Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick.
“I'm surprised. It feels awesome knowing that I am good,” said Croteau, who beat out goalies from Lloydminster and Fort McMurray.
“I think we are going to be good because we have some of the top scorers in the league like (Blocha) and we have some really good players like Cabana and Emigh and some other good players from Lloydminster.
Six players from Lloydminster, one from Cold Lake, one from St. Paul and others from various towns across the northeastern part of the province join the four Lakeland Panthers on the Zone 7 roster.
The team will compete against seven other teams representing other zones across the province in a tournament scheduled for Feb. 13 to 16 in Medicine Hat.
“I am really excited,” said forward Cameron Emigh. “I think it is going to be awesome.”
Emigh, one of six defensemen on the roster, idolizes New York Rangers defenceman Ryan McDonaugh.
He will be joined by Cold Lake Freeze defenceman Wyatt Cook on the Zone 7 blueline.
Unfortunately for the coaching staff the team isn't allowed to get together and practice before the tournament. For the local Bonnyville boys this means they will most likely see some playing time together because of their familiarity.
“It is awesome to have made the team with my teammates,” said Caden Cabana, who joins Blocha as one of the 12 forwards on the roster. “I'm pretty excited.”
Cabana, much like his favourite player Steven Stamkos, is a gifted scorer. Through 11 games this season Cabana has notched eight goals and 14 assists.
The Panthers faced off against Lloydminster at the JJ Parr arena this past Saturday in a game, which saw 10 future Zone 7 teammates go head-to-head.
It was at games like this that the coaching staff will attend to try and get a feel for their players.
“Over the next two months I am going to try and get as much time watching these guys as possible,” said Langridge.
“For us as a coaching staff I think we all came out pretty happy with the 20 individuals that we are going to take and make a team here come February.”
