Noel, Thompson Named To Team Atlantic

Two members of the Saint John Sea Dogs have been named to Team Atlantic for the upcoming World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. This year’s tournament begins on December 29^th in Cape Breton.

According to a press release, “this year’s Team Atlantic is comprised of 22 players from the Atlantic region. The team’s breakdown by province is as follows: New Brunswick - 10 players; Nova Scotia – 9 players; Newfoundland and Labrador – 3 players.”

Sea Dogs forward Nathan Noel is one of the three Newfoundlanders on the squad. Noel was a lock to make the team given that he played in last year’s tournament. This season, in 25 games with Saint John, the 16-year old has eight goals and nine assists.

Sea Dogs defenseman Will Thompson was also named to the team. The Fredericton native, who was a first-round pick of Saint John in June’s QMJHL Entry Draft, has two goals and an assist in 10 games with the Dogs this season. His playing time has been limited due to injuries.

The full roster can be seen here. There are a couple of Saint Johners on the team as well as a few top prospects for the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft.

This will be the final year for Team Atlantic at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Instead of regional teams, Hockey Canada will be sending three national teams beginning at the 2015 tournament.