Nick Poisson will have one of the shorter trips up Highway 97 to Dawson Creek this week where he’ll place a maple leaf on his chest for the very first time.
The Prince George Spruce Kings forward has cracked Canada’s western roster for the 2019 World Junior ‘A’ Hockey Challenge, pinning five international squads against each other in a showcase of the best of the best.
Poisson, a Vancouver product, currently leads the defending B.C. Hockey League (BCHL) champions with 30 points in 31 games, including a team-high 11 goals.
This matches the number of points he accumulated last year, while also adding 10 points in 23 playoff games and six in six National Junior ‘A’ Championship tilts.
The Providence College commit will suit up with 10 other BCHL players at the eight-day event in the province’s Peace River region.
The Vancouver-born product is also 1 of 11 BCHL players named to Team Canada West, which is half of the 22-man roster | #CityOfPG
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) December 4, 2019
For this particular tournament, Canada is split into two teams, Team Canada West and Team Canada East, and will take on other countries like the United States, Russia and the Czech Republic.
Poisson was one of two Spruce Kings that received an invite to Team Canada West’s camp in Calgary the last three days (Dec. 1-3).
His western teammates will begin the World Junior ‘A’ Hockey Challenge Saturday night (Dec. 7) when they face the Americans at Encana Events Centre.
