Tristan Lennox and Cole Perfetti selected to represent Canada at 2018 World U 17 Hockey Challenge

Spirit head coach Troy Smith and assistant Ryan Kuwabara will also participate in the 2018 World U 17 Hockey Challenge in New Brunswick in early November...

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Jason Marcoux

Jason Marcoux

Cole Perfetti (91) scores in the season opener against the Soo Greyhounds...

photo: Natalie Shaver

Tristan Lennox (30) in a pre season game against Kitchener...

photo: Natalie Shaver

Saginaw, MI:

Saginaw Spirit rookies Cole Perfetti and Tristan Lennox; along with head coach Troy Smith and Spirit assistant coach Ryan Kuwabara have all been selected to represent one of the three Canadian teams (Canada Red, Canada White, and Canada Black) which will be competing for a gold medal against teams from the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, and the United States at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (Nov. 3-10) in Saint John and Quispamsis, New Brunswick.

Originally known as the Quebec Esso Cup, the World U-17 Hockey Challenge is organized by Hockey Canada. It is the first major international competition for male ice hockey players under the age of seventeen and is the first step in Hockey Canada's 'Program of Excellence,' which is used to identify players moving on to the U-18 and National Junior Team.

Smith joins team Canada Black behind the bench as an assistant, while Lennox will be between the pipes, joining Perfetti (forward) and Kuwabara (video coordinator) on the team Canada White roster.

Lennox, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound goal tender from Cambridge, ON was the No. 1 ranked goalie when the Spirit selected him in the second round, 26 overall, in the 2018 Ontario Hockey League priority selection draft.

He has a 3.33 goals against average with a .857 saves percentage, turning away 18 of the 21 shots he's faced through 2 games for the Spirit this year.

Perfetti, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound forward from Whitby, ON was the second ranked skater when the Spirit selected him with the 5th overall pick in the first round of the 2018 OHL priority selection draft back in April.

He's currently third in scoring among OHL rookies with 11-points (7-goals, 4-assists) in twelve games for the Spirit this year, and his 7-goals are second among OHL rookies.

Team Canada Black and team Canada White; along with the Czech Republic and the United States will make up group-A, playing all preliminary round games at Harbour Station in Saint John, while team Canada Red, Finland, Russia, and Sweden make up group-B, playing games at the Q-Plex in Quispamsis.

Prior to the start of the tournament the teams will play warm-up games at various locations, all starting at 7 pm on Nov. 1, with team Canada Black taking on Finland at the 8th Hussars Sports Centre in Sussex, New Brunswick; while team Canada White faces off against Russia at the Tri County Complex in Fredericton, New Brunswick on the same night in preparation for the tournament.

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