The KIJHL Prospects Game kicks off on Saturday in Kelowna with a number of Greater Trail players in the Kootenay Conference lineup.
Forty of the Junior B league’s top U18 players were selected from the 20 teams in the Kootenay and Okanagan/Shuswap Conferences to play in a match designed to attract a number of BCHL, WHL, and college scouts.
Trail natives Connor Seib and Brad Ross, as well as Castlegar product Aiden Jenner were selected from the Beaver Valley Nitehawks. Ryan Piva, another Trail native who plays with the Nelson Leafs, will also attend, as will Fernie Ghostriders forward Ethan Jang, a Rossland product.
Ross will make his second appearance at the event, scoring a goal and an assist in last year’s 3-3 draw. Ross and Jenner bring size and talent to the Nitehawks with the Trail native second in team scoring with 18 goals and 30 points in 34 games, and Jenner producing 11 goals and 20 points in 29 games.
The 17-year-old Seib recently returned to action after suffering a lower body injury on Nov. 5, but is a quick-thinking and mobile defenceman, whose presence was certainly missed by the Hawks in a tough 2-7 run in November.
Piva is the third top scorer on the Leafs this season with 14 goals and 23 points, while 16-year-old Jang has seven goals and 10 points in his rookie season with Fernie.
Nelson’s Mario DiBella, Creston’s Brad Tobin, and Grand Forks’ Emery Olauson will share coaching duties for the Kootenay Conference team.
The rest of the KIJHL will take the night off as the Kootenay versus Okanagan/Shuswap Conference Prospects Game faces off at 2 p.m. at the Rutland Arena.