Camrose Minor Hockey goalie Child on U16 roster

Killam goalie Travis Child in one of five goalies battling for a spot on the Team Alberta U16 hockey roster.

Hockey Alberta selected the top 34 U16 male hockey players for further evaluation in preparation to represent Team Alberta at the 2012 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup in November 1 to 4 in Calgary.

About 80 players were evaluated at a camp in July at the EnCana Arena in Camrose. The 34 short listed players will now be scouted with their club teams until the final 20 player Team Alberta roster is named.

“We want to put together a highly competitive team and we think out of these 34 athletes, we will be able to do that,” said Team Alberta coach, Bryce Thoma. “To go from 80 players down to 34 is no easy task, but it will be exciting to watch all these players perform with their club teams.”

The Challenge Cup has Alberta and the other three Western provinces’ top U16 talent competing against each other. This will be the third year for this event. Alberta captured gold in 2009 with a 6-4 win over Manitoba and gold in 2011 with a 10-4 win over Manitoba.

Six players from the 2009 Team Alberta U16 team were drafted into the NHL in the 2012 NHL Draft, including Mathew Dumba (seventh), Mitchell Moroz (32nd) and Mike Winther (54th). Dumba and Hunter Shinkurak, who also played on the 2009 Team Alberta U16 team, played for Team Canada at the 2012 Canada-Russia Challenge.