The Simon Fraser University Clansmen are hosting familiar crosstown rivals and distant strangers alike this weekend, as the Great Northwest Showcase goes down on December 28-29 at the Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby, BC.
Featured in the inaugural running of the GNS tournament are SFU, the UBC Thunderbirds, the Oklahoma Sooners and the Arizona State Sun Devils. Tickets are $15 ($10 for students and children). Check out the schedule here — and of course, there is a Facebook event page as well.
It’s a great opportunity to check out some quality hockey in a very intimate setting — the Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby screams small-town puck despite being in the middle of the Lower Mainland — and there are some interesting players to watch for as well.
More after the jump.
With the host squad, pay special attention to goaltender Evan Kurylo, who has, like, the most awesomest family name in the history of families. And names. He also happens to have a stingy 1. 5 goals against average and an impressive 16-3-1 career record compiled over three years with SFU. Up front the Clan boasts Christopher Hoe and his 2.1 points per game — he’s got 19 points in just nine games so far this season — and a host of players with double digits as well.
Arizona is the number one-ranked team in the States, and their individual players are predictably impressive. Kale Dolinski, a Regina product, has 37 points in 21 games. Colin Hekle out of Winnipeg has 36 points in 22 games as well, while Vancouver’s Dan Styrna has more than a point a game himself.
Oklahoma’s no slouch, either, as they currently sit in sixth on the national ranking table. Surrey-born sophomore goaltender Colin Fernandes is just one of the Canadians on the Sooner roster. He’s got a .920 save percentage and three shutouts in 15 games played this season. (Here’s a pretty cool shot of Fernandes in action — the shot’s copyrighted & blocked from embedding, though, so you’ll have to click through to the OU site to see it.)
Also from OU, look for freshman forward Stan Smrke. Not only does have a name that hearkens back to Vancouver Canucks legend Stan Smyl, but his awesomely-named hometown is Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He’ll be easy to spot. He’s 6’5″ and weighs 215 pounds.
Here are a few pics from an SFU practice I hit up on Boxing Day. All photos are by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
