All Eyes on PEI | The Best U17 Players In The World to Face-Off
QMJHL well represented as Hockey Canada unveils the roster for the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge scheduled for Nov 2nd to 11th.
Hockey Canada - All Eyes on PEI | The Best U17 Players In The World to Face-OffWhen the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge kicks off in Charlottetown and Summerside, Prince Edward Island, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will be well-represented with eleven players, including four from the Maritimes Division.
Moncton Wildcats teammates Caleb Desnoyers and Shawn Carrier, along with Halifax Mooseheads forward Liam Kilfoil and Charlottetown Islanders defenseman Owen Conrad will represent their country starting November 2. Carrier, Kilfoil and Conrad will suit up for Canada Red while Desnoyers will wear the Canada White colours.
The tournament, originally known as the Quebec Esso Cup, is held annually in Canada featuring the best male hockey players under the age of 17. Organized by Hockey Canada, it is their first step in the Program Of Excellence and used to identify players moving on to the IIHF U18 World Championship and and National Junior Team.
The 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge will make its way to PEI for the first time after the 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the tournament is not sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation, joining Canada Red and Canada White at this year’s tournament will be Czechia, Finland, Sweden and the USA. Each team will play five preliminary-round games from November 2-7, with the quarterfinal matchups set for November 9, the semifinals on November 10 and the bronze and gold medal games on November 11.
More than 2,000 National Hockey League draft picks have suited up since the inception of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 1986, including three 1st overall picks from the QMJHL: Marc-André Fleury in 2003, Nathan MacKinnon in 2013 and Alexis Lafrenière in 2020.
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