CALGARY - There will be a couple of southeast Saskatchewan connections for Team Canada West at the upcoming World Junior A Hockey Challenge in Truro, N.S.
Lampman's Nigel Dube will be the team's director of player personnel, and forward Ty Mason of Weyburn was picked to play for the club.
Dube, age 35, grew up playing his minor hockey in Lampman and Estevan. He then spent two seasons with the Regina Pat Canadians U18 AAA program and played two games of junior hockey with the Estevan Bruins.
He then played his junior hockey in B.C. with the Penticton Vees and in Alberta with the Camrose Kodiaks. He helped the Kodiaks reach the national junior A title game in 2008. He then spent four seasons playing collegiate hockey with Minot State University.
Dube has been in various coaching and management roles since the 2013-14 season, and has currently been with the Lloydminster Bobcats since the 2018-19 season. He is currently the Bobcats' general manager.
Mason is 18 but is already in his third season of junior hockey. He grew up playing minor hockey in his hometown of Weyburn but also spent played for the Estevan U18 AAA Bears in their first season in 2020-21. Mason joined the Weyburn Red Wings for the 2020-21 season, and last year had 25 goals and 32 assists for 57 points in 56 games, even though he was still eligible to play U18 hockey.
He parlayed his strong performance into a scholarship with Western Michigan University for the 2023-24 season. He was dealt to Alberta in the offseason, and is now playing with the Brooks Bandits, who won the last three national championships.
Mason is also the son of Willy Mason, who was a forward for the Estevan Bruins when they won the SJHL championship in 1999, and is currently an assistant coach with the Red Wings,
Also selected to Team Canada West were forward Matthew Van Blaricom of the Humboldt Broncos and defenceman Ronan Buckberger.
Forward Ryan Zaremba, a 17-year-old forward with the Sherwood Park Crusaders, played two games with the Estevan Bruins last season while his family was still residing in Saskatchewan.
The team will be guided by Scott Barney, who is the head coach of the Humboldt Broncos. Jason Savill of the Flin Flon Bombers will be an equipment manager.
The tournament runs from Dec. 10-17.
