The practice sessions and team bonding has begun for the 22 players who will compete for Team West at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge which begins Wednesday in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie. Team West consists of 11 players from Manitoba and 11 players from Saskatchewan. Team West, who is in Group "B" with Team Pacific, Slovakia, Team Ontario and the Czech Republic, will play its lone exhibition game tonight in Portage la Prairie against the United States who won the 2010 Gold Medal game in Timmons, Ontario. Team West will open the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge against Team Pacific on Wednesday at MTS IcePlex in Winnipeg.

 

 

 

CJRB Sports Director Clayton Dreger asked Spokane Chiefs defenceman Reid Gow of Killarney to talk about Team West and if he feels it will take long for the 11 Manitobans and 11 players from Saskatchewan to gell.

 

 

The 11 Manitobans on Team West are goaltender Chris Driedger of Winnipeg along with defencemen Reid Gow of Killarney, Landon Peel of Virden, Ryan Pulock of Grandview and Justin Hamonic of Winnipeg. The forwards include Sutton Olson of Deloraine, Brayden Cuthbert of Brandon, Brendan Harms of Steinbach, Daniel Asham of Headingley, Brendan Leipsic of Winnipeg and Brett Stovin of Stony Mountain. Team West finished eighth at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Timmons.