Jenks to the World Junior A Challenge

Spruce Kings rookie netminder, Jesse Jenks has been selected
to Team Canada West roster for the World Junior A Challenge

It is one of the early season prestigious tournaments and Jesse Jenks is on the roster for Team Canada West. The World Junior A Challenge is entering its eighth edition and for the six time in those eight years, a Prince George Spruce Kings player will have a chance to play for gold in front of every NHL team as well as scouts from around the hockey world.

The World Junior A Challenge is an annual event that rivals others for exposure of the players looking to make an impact to further their hockey careers. With the best of the best players coming from hockey hotbeds around the world, scouts flock to the tournament with plenty of paper and ink to make notes on players that are draft eligible or better yet, diamonds in the rough waiting to be uncovered.

Jujhar Khaira was the most recent member from the Spruce Kings roster to play in the WJAC two seasons ago. Khaira ended up winning gold with Team Canada West and was drafted the following summer by the Edmonton Oilers in the 3rd round of the NHL Draft.

In 2011, Team Canada West won their third gold medal at the WJAC. In the inaugural tournament, Team Canada West won gold and followed it up with a repeat performance the following year. In year three and year four, Team Canada West had to settle for silver and missed out on any medal in 2010. Last year Team Canada West came away with their third silver to improve their medal haul to 3 golds and 3 silvers in 7 years. The United States also has six medals with four golds and a pair of bronze followed by Team Canada East with their four silvers and one bronze medal.

Jenks becomes the sixth Spruce King to be selected to the Team Canada West roster and second goaltender. Kevin Genoe won silver in net in 2008 and went on to play four years of NCAA Division I hockey with Michigan Tech. Ryan deVries (2006 - Gold), Jeff Forsythe (2007 - Gold) and Wes McLeod (Silver - 2009) were three defenceman chosen from the Prince George Spruce Kings while Jujhar Khaira (2011 - Gold) has been the only forward to be selected so far.

The 2013 World Junior A Challenge will take place from November 4 - 10 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia with Team Canada West playing an exhibition game against the Americans on November 2nd in Digby, Nova Scotia. Team Canada West will play round robin games against Switzerland and the Czech Republic on November 4th and 5th. Quarter final games will be on Thursday November 7th and the semi finals on Friday November 8th. The relegation games are scheduled for Saturday and the Gold Medal game is set for Sunday November 10th at 9am PDT.