The Yorkton Terriers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League will be well represented at the upcoming Team Canada West tryouts for the 2016 World Junior A Hockey Challenge by assistant captain and defenseman Regan Seiferling, and athletic therapist/equipment manager Nathan Hollinger.
From Dec. 5-8, sixty junior aged hockey players will gather in Leduc, Alta to participate in tryouts for the Team Canada West Junior Hockey Team. Seiferling was one of the sixty chosen from Western Canada to tryout. This is his second year being invited to the tryouts.
Hollinger has already been chosen as a staff member for the team. He is listed as one of the two athletic therapists/equipment managers .
Seiferling said he found out just last week that he had been invited to the tryouts.
“It’s always a good thing to be able to tryout for team Canada. I was happy, but then once it really sets in, you realize you’ve got to bear down and go out to camp there and just give them all you’ve got,” said Seiferling.
Seiferling has been sitting out of Terriers games for several weeks due to an injury in his hand. He said he’s hoping this doesn’t affect his performance at the tryout camps.
“I’ve been skating ever since the injury happened. And I can finally get some games in this week,” he said, referring to the Terriers’ upcoming games this week. “I’m getting back into game shape and everything, so I’m pretty lucky with that – to be able to get some games in before and just keep on doing the things I was doing before the injury.”
While Seiferling is hoping to earn a spot on the team, Hollinger’s position is already secured.
He said the email came in months ago saying they were looking to fill the position. So, he sent in a resume, things fell into place and he landed the job. He said he’s excited to get there, and happy to have secured the position.
“As far as the athletic therapy goes, it’s just making sure guys have everything they need as far as treatments or rehab or anything like that. The equipment side – sharpening skates, making sure we have all the equipment, stuff like that,” said Hollinger. “It’ll be pretty busy for camp, there’s going to be a lot of guys there. But once the roster gets trimmed down it should be 22 guys, which will make things easier for us. But it should be good.”
The 2016 World Junior A Hockey Challenge will take place from Dec. 11-17 in Bonnyville, Alta.
