The Red Deer Rebels will be represented by defenceman Haydn Fleury and forward Conner Bleackley in the 2015 Canadian Hockey League Canada/Russia series.
The Rebels players were named to Team WHL for the first two games of the cross-Canada series — Nov. 9 in Kelowna and the following evening in Kamloops. The OHL will host the third and fourth games of the series and the fifth and sixth contests will be hosted by the QMJHL.
The Brandon Wheat Kings had four players — forwards Jayce Hawryluk, Nolan Patrick and John Quenneville, and defenceman Kale Clague — named to the WHL squad.
The other forwards to see action for Team WHL are Matthew Barzal and Ryan Gropp of the Seattle Thunderbirds, Rourke Chartier and Nick Merkley of the Kelowna Rockets, Jansen Harkins of the Prince George Cougars, Brayden Point of the Moose Jaw Warriors, Jake DeBrusk of the Swift Current Broncos and Brett Pollock of the Edmonton Oil Kings.
The goaltenders are Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko and Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips, while the remainder of the defensive corps consists of Everett’s Noah Juulsen, Travis Sanheim of the Calgary Hitmen, Brendan Guhle of the Prince Albert Raiders and Joe Hicketts of the Victoria Royals.
Team WHL will be coached by Royals bench boss Dave Lowry, who will also serve as head coach of Team Canada in the world junior championship Dec. 26-Jan. 4 at Helsinki, Finland.
Assisting Lowry with Team WHL will be Kelly McCrimmon of the Wheat Kings and Don Hay of the Kamloops Blazers.