Last year, Levi Kleiboer, Cody Spagrud and Layne Young were all on the outside looking in when Canada West named their roster for the 2016 World Junior A Challenge.
This weekend, Kleiboer will have a second chance to compete at the tournament as he鈥檒l travel to Calgary to take part in Canada West鈥檚 selection camp.
鈥淚 have a much better idea of what to expect this time around,鈥� Kleiboer said. 鈥淵ou have to show up for every scrimmage as the intensity level is high right from the start with so many great players from around the country.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty special to be selected by Hockey Canada once again, but it wouldn鈥檛 be possible without the great group of guys we have here on the North Stars. They鈥檝e helped me out a lot over the last couple of years.鈥�
A total of 60 players from the Alberta Junior Hockey League, British Columbia Hockey League, Manitoba Junior Hockey League, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and the Superior International Junior Hockey League will be at the camp, as they try to make a Canada West team that will be coached by Mike Reagan of the Flin Flon Bombers.
If he makes the squad, Kleiboer will become the first North Stars player to take part in the World Junior A Challenge, which will be held in Truro, N.S. from Dec. 10 to 16.
鈥淭hat would be a huge feather in the cap for not just Levi, but our entire organization,鈥� North Stars general manager and head coach Brandon Heck said.
鈥淣ot many players get the chance to represent Canada, so we鈥檙e all going to be cheering him on this weekend at the camp and hoping he makes the team.鈥�
The 19-year-old Martensville product is in his third season with the North Stars and sits third in team scoring with 24 points in 21 games.
鈥淚鈥檝e been able to jump into the rush a lot more this year,鈥� Kleiboer said. 鈥淚鈥檝e played with Cody a lot and he鈥檚 more of a stay at home defenceman, so he鈥檚 able to fill in the space I leave behind when I go up the ice.
鈥淲e鈥檝e really built up a nice chemistry over the last three years here and that has allowed us to play to our strengths.鈥�
After he arrives in Calgary Friday, Kleiboer will take to the ice Saturday for a practice at the Markin MacPhail Centre.
Scrimmages will take place on Sunday and Monday, with the final roster being named after an intra-squad game Tuesday morning.
Eight other SJHL players will be taking part in the selection camp.
Tim Gould of the Notre Dame Hounds and Josh McDougall of the Nipawin Hawks are joining Kleiboer on the blueline, while Jacob Wasserman of the Humboldt Broncos will be battling for a goaltending position.
Chrystopher Collin of the Flin Flon Bombers, Jared Hamm of the Notre Dame Hounds, Ben Hiltz of the Weyburn Red Wings, Michael McChesney of the Estevan Bruins and Chantz Petruic of the Yorkton Terriers are among the forwards heading to Calgary.
