Forest Native Tyler McGregor Selected to Canada's National Sledge Team Training Camp
monday november 24, 2014
Tyler McGregor (centre) making
special presentations at the
World U17 Hockey Challenge
at the Lambton Shores Recreation
Centre.
TORONTO, Ont. – Hockey Canada
announced Sunday the 19 players
invited to Canada’s National
Sledge Team training camp, Jan.
10-17 at the Markin MacPhail
Centre at WinSport’s Canada
Olympic Park in Calgary, Alta.
The training camp will serve as
the final step in the selection
process for the 2014-15 season.
Included in the
lineup is Forest, Ont., native
Tyler McGregor.
At the recent U17 World Hockey
Challenge where McGregor was a
guest of honour he said
"It’s a special
feeling and it's exciting to
wear the Canada jersey. The
competition level definitely
rises when you have that
opportunity."
The 20 year old
McGregor played his Minor Hockey
with the Lambton AAA Hockey
before being diagnosed with
spindle cell carcoma, a type of
bone cancer, in early 2010,
midway through his Minor Midget
season. The cancer forced the
amputation of his left leg above
the knee, ending his stand-up
hockey career but starting him
on the path to sledge hockey in
2011.
Months after
McGregor became a member of
Canada National Sledge
Development Team and was wearing
the Maple Leaf as a member of
the national team making his
debut with Canada National
Sledge Team at the 2012 World
Sledge Hockey Challenge as the
youngest player on the roster.
He went on and
was a member of
Canada’s National Sledge Team
that won bronze at the 2014
Paralympic Winter Games last
March in Sochi, Russia, and was
a part of the Canadian
contingent that won gold at the
2013 IPC Sledge Hockey World
Championship in Goyang, South
Korea.
McGregor is
looking forward to being
selected as one of
the 17 players named to the
final roster at the conclusion
of training camp who will
represent Canada at the 2015
World Sledge Hockey Challenge in
early February, in a Canadian
host city to be announced, and
the 2015 IPC Sledge Hockey World
Championship, scheduled for
April 24-May 2 in Buffalo, N.Y.
"We want to win a
championship this year,"
McGregor said "Unfortunately we
didn’t win gold last year and we
want to get back on top and we
are looking forward to doing
that and we will do anything we
can to win."
Fifteen of the players invited
to Canada’s National Sledge Team
selection camp helped Canada win
bronze at the 2014 Paralympic
Winter Games last March in
Sochi, Russia, and 14 were part
of the Canadian contingent that
won gold at the 2013 IPC Sledge
Hockey World Championship in
Goyang, South Korea.
Other Returning players from
Canada’s 2014 Paralympic roster
include goaltenders Dominic
Larocque (Quebec City, Que.) and
Corbin Watson (Kingsville, Ont),
defencemen Steve Arsenault
(Spruce Grove, Alta.), Adam
Dixon (Midland, Ont.), James
Gemmell (Quesnel, B.C.), and
Derek Whitson (Chatham, Ont.),
as well as forwards Brad Bowden
(Orton, Ont.), Billy Bridges (Summerside,
P.E.I.), Ben Delaney (Ottawa,
Ont.), Marc Dorion (Bourget,
Ont.), Anthony Gale (Brampton,
Ont.), Karl Ludwig (Brampton,
Ont.), Kevin Rempel (Dundas,
Ont.) and Greg Westlake
(Oakville, Ont.).
Three players, Chris Cederstrand
(Okotoks, Alta.), Bryan
Sholomicki (Winnipeg, Man.) and
Kevin Sorley (Petersburg, Ont.),
have never played for Canada’s
National Sledge Team, and one,
Kieran Block (Edmonton, Alta.),
has previous national team
experience.
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