U SPORTS All-Stars ready to challenge Team Canada hopefuls

There's more than just bragging rights on the line as Alberta's top university hockey players square up against Team Canada's World Junior hopefuls.

Mount Royal University Cougars star Nolan Yaremko is in the business of scoring goals.

But this weekend, Yaremko and a group of Alberta’s top university hockey players will be giving a big assist to Hockey Canada’s National Junior Team Selection Camp.

The U SPORTS All-Stars will play a pair of games against the junior prospects to help Hockey Canada brass decide who will be named to their final roster — and hopefully challenge for gold in Edmonton.

“If I’m not a part of the team, playing against them is almost just as good,” Mount Royal Cougars forward Ryley Lindgren said.

Lindgren played in this event back in 2019 and watched Alexis Lafreniere, Dylan Cozens and the rest of Team Canada defeat Russia in the gold medal game.

Providing elite competition prior to the exhibition games is one of the biggest assists the student athletes can make for their fellow countrymen.

“That’s the ultimate goal — especially looking back at when (Grayson) Pawlenchuk and (Clayton) Kirichenko and Lindgren played,” University of Calgary Dinos defenceman Ryan Gagnon said.

“That was one of the things they pointed out, just the whole experience in itself and getting to see those guys win gold after they played them.”