The Los Angeles Selects are returning to St. Albert with a bantam AAA team similar in talent to the one that won the John Reid Memorial Tournament two years ago.
The 97 Selects are ranked seventh in the United States with an impressive 24-6-2 record and with a line-up flowing with speed and skill.
“We try and bring a little bit of everything to the table, but probably our biggest aspect is our puck movement,” said head coach Rick Kelly.
High-scoring centre Robby Jackson racked up 43 goals and 82 points in 32 games.
Ty Comrie is another offensive threat with 17 goals and 33 points in 21 games.
“I’ve got some kids with extremely high hockey IQs. We’re very creative,” Kelly said.
Keoni Texeira, a six-foot, 192-pound defenceman, has 18 goals, 42 points and 89 penalty minutes in 32 games.
“He skates like Paul Coffey and hits like Scott Stevens,” Kelly said. “He is definitely going to be a first rounder in the western league [bantam draft].”
Netminder Evan Sarthou posted four shutouts in 20 games while going 14-4-1 with a 2.09 GAA.
“He is the best U.S. goaltender period for his age,” Kelly said. “He is a Seattle kid and played with the Vancouver Selects in the summer. He’s got Canadian ties. He is legit.”
In 2010 the 95 Selects edged the Burnaby Winter Club Bruins 3-2 in the final to become the only non-Canadian team in tournament history to capture the championship trophy.
“The 95s set the bar for the 97s in general, not just for St. Albert but everywhere we go,” Kelly said. “The kids realize how special that 95 team was.”
The first United States team since the 2003 Seattle Sno-Kings to compete at the tournament were led by Eric Comrie in net and Brian Williams up front. They are now in the WHL with the Tri-City Americans.
The majority of the 95 Selects are playing in the WHL, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and United States Hockey League and on the United States national development team.
“The big dream for the 97s is to try and compete like the 95s did so they can have those opportunities to go play,” Kelly said. “I had those guys since they were seven years old. In Canada you get a different coach every year and because there are so few quality coaches in California, if you get a good group at a young age you can basically get old with them and I took them all the way from seven, eight years old until they were 16.”
The Selects’ club program is based in Lakeland, a suburb of Long Beach.
“There are bunch of Canadians here like myself and Bill Comrie who try to instil the reality of the game to these guys and the respect of the game and it’s just highlighted by opportunities like this to go to a place like St. Albert and see how it’s supposed to be run,” Kelly said.
“Obviously, California is not a traditional hockey area. The rinks and the referees are still behind the times. When they go to St. Albert and see how clean the rink is and how spotless it is and how much pride the Canadians take in the game and how they respect the teams coming in and how they’re treated, it’s a really, really big part of the learning process. Skills and development are one thing, but it’s the Canadian passion of hockey that the kids really thrive on. They just cherish the opportunity to go there.”
The Selects will play the host St. Albert Sabres, Notre Dame Hounds and Cloverdale Colts in their pool at the 34th annual invitational tournament, Jan. 19-22 at Servus Credit Union Place.
Kelly has a coaching conflict with another Selects team and his assistant coach, Bill Comrie, will handle the bench duties in St. Albert.
“I’m trying to work a deal right now between USA hockey and Hockey Canada for Mike and Paul Comrie to assist Bill. The only thing is with coaching certification these days they take it really seriously and they might not be able to get on the bench,” said Kelly, who works with Ritch Winter at The Sports Corporation hockey agency. “Brian Burke is trying to help me out. I’ve got Ritch Winter working on it and a few other people. I don’t know if it’s going to get done or not but that would be a dream situation.”
ICE CHIPS: The Wenatchee Jr. Wild of Washington State have pulled out of the tournament because of several injuries and have been replaced by the Calgary Bronks in the 16-team draw.
See page 51 for the tournament schedule or visit www.johnreidmemorial.com.
