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Chiefs place three on Hockey Canada’s roster for international tournament

Jake McGrew, left, of the white team goes on the attack, trailed by Koby Morrisseau, right, in the Spokane Chiefs’ annual Red and White Game on Aug. 30, 2015 at the Spokane Arena. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)
By Thomas Clouse tomc@spokesman.com(509) 459-5495

The Spokane Chiefs have had three players selected for Hockey Canada’s 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Forwards Koby Morrisseau, Eli Zummack and defenseman Ty Smith have been named to the Hockey Canada’s roster for the tournament, which will be played Oct. 27-Nov. 5 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

Smith, Morrisseau and Zummack are three of 66 players selected from the original pool of 111 participants at a seven-day development camp held last July. They await final placement on one of three Canadian teams (Black, Red or White), which will be decided next week. The tournament also includes teams from the United States, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia and Sweden.

“These are the 66 best players in the country who are, by-and-large, making their first appearance in international competition as part of Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence,” said Shawn Bullock, senior manager of Hockey Canada, said in a news release. “They have been selected not only based on their current ability, but also on their potential to represent Canada at under-18 and junior competition in the coming years.”

Smith, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound defenseman out of Lloydminster, Alberta, was the first overall pick in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft. He has already racked up a goal and five assists in seven career WHL games. Smith also represented Canada as team captain at the Youth Olympic Games, earning a silver medal while putting up two goals and three assists in six games.

Morrisseau was the Chiefs’ second of two first-round selections in the 2015 draft at ninth overall. Out of Grandview, Manitoba, he stands 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds. He’s pointless in five games with the Chiefs.

Zummack, called up by the Chiefs for Wednesday night’s game against the Kamloops Blazers, is a speedy forward from Kelowna, B.C. At 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, he put up 14 goals and 38 assists in 37 games with the Okanagan Rockets of the BCMML last year. He was a second-round pick in the 2015 draft and was acquired by the Chiefs in a trade with the Red Deer Rebels last season.

The Chiefs, (2-3-0-0 four points) visit the Kamloops Blazer Wednesday night. Spokane returns Friday to the Spokane Arena to face the Everett Silvertips.