11/28/2014, 3:00pm EST By NOJHL Communications
NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, Nov. 28, 2014
Abitibi’s Locke, Kirkland Lake’s Soares selected to attend Canada East camp
SUDBURY – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League, announced Friday the 40 players that will attend the Canada East selection camp in preparation for the 2014 World Junior A Challenge.
Among the skaters invited to take part were a pair of Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League players in Brenden Locke of the Abitibi Eskimos and Luc Soares of the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners.
Marc Lafleur, head coach and general manager of the defending NOJHL champion Gold Miners will also serve as an assistant coach for Canada East.
The 17-year-old Locke, who hails from Iroquois Falls, is currently tied for second in team scoring with the Eskimos having amassed 27 points on 16 goals and 11 assists.
His point totals leave 10th in NOJHL scoring and fifth in tallies.
As for Soares, the 18-year-old from Delta, B.C., is knotted for third in offensive production with Kirkland Lake having notched 15 markers and set-up 11 others. His three game-winning efforts put him in a share for third in the league in that category while also being tied for sixth in goals scored.
Both players were members of Team NOJHL at the recently staged Central Canada Cup Challenge event held in Toronto.
The Canada East selection camp is scheduled for Dec. 6-9 and will be held at Buckingham Arena in Toronto.
The 40 players will be divided into two teams and play two intrasquad games, as well as a game against 1994-born players from the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Players named to the Canada East selection camp roster were selected from the CJHL’s five eastern Junior A leagues: the NOJHL, OJHL, Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), Quebec Junior Hockey League (LHJQ) and Maritime Hockey League (MHL).
The selection camp roster was chosen by Canada East head coach Marty Abrams (Wellington, OJHL), along with assistant coaches Mark Grady (Smiths Falls, CCHL), Marc Lafleur (Kirkland Lake, NOJHL) and Troy Ryan (Campbellton, MHL) as well as regional scouts Paul Currie, Jack Ferguson and Dave Mayville.
From the camp the roster will be formulated to represent Canada East in the upcoming World Junior A Challenge Dec. 14-20 in Kindersley, Sask.