Quietly preparing for their most important tournament in two years, the Men’s National Team is ready for competition.
The following 18 athletes will represent Canada at The Pan American Cup in Brampton, August 10-17.
David Carter – BC
Spencer Curran – BC
Taylor Curran* – BC
Adam Froese – BC
Matt Guest* – BC
Richard Hildreth – BC
David Jameson – BC
Antoni Kindler – BC
Jannu Mahal* – BC
Ben Martin – BC
Sukhi Panesar – BC
Mark Pearson – BC
Keegan Pereira – ONT
Sukhwinder Singh – ONT
Iain Smythe – BC
Scott Tupper – BC
Jesse Watson – BC
Philip Wright – BC
* – TBC
Non-Travelling Reserves
Jagdish Gill – ONT
Gordon Johnston – BC
James Kirkpatrick – BC
Matthew Sarmento – BC
Hudson Stewart – BC
Selections were difficult as always for coach Anthony Farry: “It’s been one of the hardest selections I’ve been involved with. We have a good balance of experience as well as some who are newer to international hockey.”
Peaking at the right time
Farry is pleased with the groups progress through the summer and confident they’ll peak in two weeks time.
The squad focused on a few key areas in training over the summer, and Farry is pleased with the progression and continued development of the group as well as the younger players.
Culture is a pivotal component leading into The Pan Am Cup. Farry and the coaching staff have worked hard to instill a ground-up approach: “We set the direction, and from there it is driven by the players… sometimes the most important gains have to be made off the field before you start to see changes on the field.”
The player-centric approach leads to a certain accountability among the group. “It is a massive honour and privilege to represent your country… there are huge sacrifices” said Farry.
Whether a team run up Cypress Mountain on a Saturday evening, or weekend trip to Vancouver Island to teach youth clinics, the players personify this philosophy. They’ve all made sacrifices for the good of the team and their ultimate goal: The World Cup.
A rare opportunity to play at home
Canada draws Brazil, Chile, and Trinidad and Tobago in their pool. Each team represents a challenge. The squad will familiarize themselves with Brazil during their series starting this weekend. Chile and T&T are always tough matches as both teams possess speed and skill.
Farry knows that the boys will no doubt be feeding off the home crowd, but they’re always cognisant of the bigger picture. “We have great respect for all the teams in this tournament. We have set some targets, and to achieve these we’re going to need to play each game with the same attitude, determination, and desire.”
Canada kicks things off against Brazil on August 10th.
