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Scott, Leason embrace World Junior opportunity

Dec 11, 2018 | 4:00 PM

Opportunity knocks for Raider forward Brett Leason and goaltender Ian Scott.

The two players said goodbye to their teammates after Sunday’s game in Saskatoon and headed west to Victoria to take part in Hockey Canada’s selection camp for the 2019 World Junior Championships which will be held in Vancouver and Victoria beginning on Boxing Day.

While Scott was in the spotlight for much of his career, having competed with Hockey Canada at the under-17 and under-18 levels, this is the first kick at the can for Leason in an international setting.

Coming off a 33-point campaign split between Tri-City and Prince Albert last year, the 6’4” forward has exploded onto the scene this year as he currently leads the entire Canadian Hockey League with 64 points in 31 games.

Leason said it’s been gratifying to get recognition at this level.

“It means a lot. It’s always been a goal of mine [to play at the World Juniors]. Having never been recognized before and finally getting a chance to try to play for the country, it’s going to be a great experience,” Leason said.

The 19-year-old forward said he started to believe he was on the radar when he got the call to represent Team WHL in the CIBC Canada-Russia Series which took place in early November.

Selected ninth overall in the 2014 bantam draft by the Raiders, Scott has long been considered a high-end prospect. With experience at international events, he knows a little bit of what to expect this week, and even spent time as a roommate with Ottawa 67s goaltender Michael DiPietro at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Scott and DiPietro are two of the three goaltenders, the other being Matt Villalta of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, currently battling for the final two spots.

Having the opportunity to represent Canada at the highest level of junior hockey is something that Scott, and his family, would embrace. When asked to recall memories of watching the World Juniors in the past, the Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick said one thing stands out above all.

“I think it’s just always been mom, nagging me and saying that she wants to see me playing at this time of the year, so I think that’s what always stuck with me,” joked Scott, adding that it would be special for his family to be able to join him on the coast this Christmas.

For Leason, he said he’s always followed the tournament closely.

“I watched it pretty much every year. It was nice knowing some of the guys on the team last year, and hopefully I’ll be playing in it this year. Even if I don’t make it, I’ll still be watching and cheering them on from home,” Leason said.

Here in Prince Albert, both players have had two valuable resources to lean on for advice as Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid and assistant coach Jeff Truitt both have experience at the tournament.

Habscheid served as assistant coach for Team Canada in 2002 and head coach in 2003, and competed as a player when he was a member of the Saskatoon Blades.

Prior to Leason and Scott departing, Habscheid spoke to both about what they can expect, but ultimately said they just have to play their game.

“The big thing is, they’re good players. They don’t have to go in there tiptoeing and thinking ‘Jeez I hope I can make it,’” Habscheid said. “We want them to go there, represent the country, represent themselves and the organization which I know they will, and be impacts on that team because not only are they really good players but they’re better people.”

Selection camp features three games against a team of U Sports all-stars on Dec. 12, 13, and 14. Former Raider Dylan Busenius is among the 25 players making up the university all-star team that the Team Canada hopefuls will compete against.

Following the four-day selection camp which ends on Friday, the Canadian roster will be narrowed down to the final 22 players who will represent the country from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5. Canada will also take part in three pre-tournament games against Switzerland, Slovakia, and Finland.

Raiders host Oil Kings

The Raiders have three games this week to wrap up the pre-Christmas schedule, beginning Wednesday night against the Edmonton Oil Kings who currently sit in second in the Central Division. This is the second meeting of the year between the two teams, with Prince Albert dropping Edmonton 6-3 on Nov. 28 at Rogers Place. Edmonton boasts high-scoring forward Trey Fix-Wolansky who has been chasing Leason for the scoring lead all season.

On Friday, the Raiders hit the road to Swift Current before welcoming the Broncos back home to the Art Hauser Centre on Saturday night, which is also the team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss game.

Belarusians undefeated at Tier I Championships

In addition to Leason and Scott, the Raiders are without forward Aliaksei Protas and defencemen Sergei Sapego, who are currently representing Belarus at the 2018 Tier I World Junior Championships in Germany.

Belarus defeated Norway 5-3 on Sunday, and dropped France 6-2 on Monday to improve their record to 2-0. Sapego has two goals while Protas has a goal and an assist. Belarus is back in action Wednesday at 1 p.m. against Austria.

Help on the way

On Tuesday, the Raiders announced on Twitter the team recalled forward Tyson Laventure and goaltender Brett Balas ahead of Wednesday’s game.

Laventure was selected in the second round, 31st overall by the Raiders in the 2018 bantam draft. The Lloydminster native has been on fire in the Canadian School Sport Hockey League this year with 18 goals and 43 points in 22 games with OHA Edmonton Prep. The 15-year-old is tied for the team lead in points, and sits seventh league-wide.

Balas joins the Raiders from the Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. The 2001-born goaltender was selected in the third round of the 2016 bantam draft, and spent last season with the Calgary Midget AAA Flames.

 

trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden