THREE T-BIRDS HEADED TO SELECT TOURANMENTS
Pickard to play in Subway Super Series; Troock and Hickman at U-16 Challenge Cup

KENT — Seattle Thunderbirds goalie Calvin Pickard was selected today to play for Team WHL in the 2009 Subway Super Series.

The Subway Super Series is a six-game tournament from November 16-26 between CHL All-Star teams and Team Russia and is an integral part of the evaluation process prior to Team Canada’s final World Junior Championships selection camp in December. 

Team WHL will face Team Russia in games five and six of the series played Wednesday, November 25, in Victoria, BC, and on Thursday, November 26, in Kelowna, BC.  The first two games of the series are hosted by the QMJHL with the OHL hosting games three and four.

Team WHL was selected by a special committee of WHL General Managers along with Al Murray, Hockey Canada’s Head Scout for the Canadian National Junior Team, as part of the selection process for the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships.

Right wing Brandon Troock and center Justin Hickman were selected to take part in the four-day Western Canada U-16 Challenge Cup starting today in Blackfalds, Alberta.

Troock, playing for Team Alberta, was the T-Birds first selection in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft.

Hickman, playing for Team BC, was the T-Birds second round selection, 34^th overall, in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft.

The inaugural Challenge Cup is a four-team round-robin tournament bringing together the top U-16 prospects from the four western Canadian provinces.