Jason La Rose
Canada Red and Canada White are in place for the 2024 U17 World Challenge, and 44 Canadians will debut in the Program of Excellence in Sarnia beginning Nov. 3.
Ahead of the first drop of the puck at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena, let’s take a deep dive into the Canadian rosters – who they are and where they’ve come from.
1: Underage player; Landon DuPont became just the second player in WHL history to be granted exceptional status to play Major Junior hockey as a 15-year-old, joining Connor Bedard.
2: Twins; Liam and Markus Ruck are the first set of twin brothers to represent Canada at the U17 World Challenge.
3: Sons of former NHLers; the fathers of Maddox Dagenais (Pierre), Landon DuPont (Micki) and Joe Iginla (Jarome) combined for 1,362 points (661-701—1362) in 1,719 games with eight different teams.
3: Members of the Barrie U16 Colts (Blake Gowan, Logan Hawery, Alex McLean), Okanagan Hockey Academy (Mathis Preston, Liam Ruck, Markus Ruck) and RHA Kelowna (Joe Iginla, Giorgos Pantelas, Keaton Verhoeff) during the 2023-24 season, most of any minor hockey team.
4: Including Joe, members of the Iginla family to represent Canada; Jarome (father) played at the 1994 La Copa Mexico, 1996 IIHF World Junior Championship, 1997 IIHF World Championship, 2002, 2006 and 2010 Olympic Winter Games and 2004 World Cup of Hockey; Jade (sister) played at the 2022 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship; and Tij (brother) played at the 2022 World U17 Hockey Challenge and 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship. Combined, the family has recorded 69 points (32-37—69) in 64 international games, winning six gold medals and a World Cup title.
4: Players drafted first overall in their respective Canadian Hockey League drafts (Ethan Belchetz – Windsor, OHL, 2024; Maddox Dagenais – Quebec, QMJHL, 2024; Landon DuPont – Everett, WHL, 2024; Daxon Rudolph – Prince Albert, WHL, 2023).
15: Players who represented Canada at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea (Cameron Chartrand, Callum Croskery, Alessandro Di Iorio, Beckham Edwards, Colin Ellsworth, Carter Esler, Tynan Lawrence, Ryan Lin, Mathis Preston, Liam Ruck, Markus Ruck, Daxon Rudolph, Adam Valentini, Keaton Verhoeff, Braidy Wassilyn).
16: Points for Maddox Dagenais (7-9—16 in 16 GP) and Landon DuPont (4-12—16 in 13 GP) to lead all Canadians who cracked the U17 rosters. Dagenais and Mathis Preston co-lead in goals (7), while Ryan Lin has the most assists (13).
21: Players from Ontario, more than any other province (Alberta – 7; Quebec – 7; British Columbia – 6; Manitoba – 2; New Brunswick – 1).
31: Canadian Hockey League teams represented with players or prospects; the Windsor Spitfires (OHL) lead the way with three players (Ethan Belchetz, Carter Hicks, Jean-Christoph Lemieux), followed by the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL), Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL), Erie Otters (OHL), Guelph Storm (OHL), London Knights (OHL), Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL), Prince Albert Raiders (WHL), Peterborough Petes (OHL), Sarnia Sting (OHL), Spokane Chiefs (WHL) and Vancouver Giants (WHL) with two each.
71-169: Average height (in inches) and weight (in pounds) of the 44 Canadians; Canada White forward Ethan Belchetz (6’4” 233 lbs) is the biggest, while Canada Red goaltender Carter Esler (5’9” 140 lbs) is the smallest.
175: Population (according to the town website) of Cypress River, Manitoba, hometown of defenceman Carson Carels and the smallest of any player.
5,709: Kilometres (according to Google Maps) from Victoria, B.C., hometown of Giorgos Pantelas, to Fredericton, New Brunswick, hometown of Tynan Lawrence – the westernmost and easternmost communities represented on the rosters.