By Hockey Saskatchewan

REGINA, Sask. – The coaching staff of Team West announced Thursday the captains for Team West that will compete in the 2008 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in London, Ont., December 29, 2007, to January 4, 2008.

The roster for Team West includes eleven (11) players from each of the Saskatchewan and Manitoba Branches to represent Team West, bringing the total to 22.

Two members of the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats have been named co-captains for the event. Garrett Mitchell of Regina, SK, and Alex Pym of Winnipeg, MB, will alternate wearing the “C” for Team West.

The alternate captains will also rotate, and will be represented by Carter Ashton (Saskatoon, SK), Jimmy Bubnick (Saskatoon, SK), Jared Cowen (Allan, SK) and Brayden Schenn (Saskatoon, SK).

The 2008 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge brings high level International teams to Canada. Ten teams will arrive in London to compete in this prestigious event. Canada is represented by five Regional teams Pacific (BC and AB), West (SK and MB), Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic (NB, NS, NF, PEI) and five international teams from Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Slovakia and USA.

The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence to identify players that will continue to the National Under-18 and National Junior Teams. This annual event showcases some of the best young talent in the world, and is often a young player’s first experience in international hockey.

Many of Canada's brightest young hockey stars made their international debut at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge such as Ryan Getzlaf, Jonathan Toews, Nathan Horton, Rick Nash, Eric Staal, Marc-André Fleury, Jason Spezza, Jay Bouwmeester and Vincent Lecavalier. The Under-17 challenge has also featured some international rising stars in Alexander Ovechkin, Nikolai Zherdev, Ilya Kovalchuk, Joni Pitkanen and the Sedin twins (Daniel and Henrik).