NEWS

Four OJHL alumni have been members of Team Canada for the upcoming World Championship being held in Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland, including Jay Harrison, Ryan O'Reilly, Matt Read and Mike Smith (pictured with Phoenix Coyotes, photo credit: Norm Hall Photography/Phoenix Coyotes).

The 2013 World Championship takes place from May 3-19 and sees Canada play in a pool with Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Belarus, Czech Republic and Slovenia.

Jay Harrison (Carolina Hurricanes) - Oshawa Legionaires, 1997/98
The Oshawa, Ontario native played one full season with his hometown Legionaires as a 15-year old in 1997-98, helping lead the team to a first place finish in the old Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League's Eastern Division standings.  Following a tremendous rookie campaign, Harrison was named the recipient of the B.J. Monro Memorial Trophy at the OHA's Top Professional Prospect and would go on to play four full seasons in the OHL with the Brampton Battalion before turning pro.

Ryan O'Reilly (Colorado Avalanche) - Toronto Jr. Canadiens, 2006/07
The native of Clinton, Ontario would only play one game in the OJHL as a member of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens in 2006/07 after being called up from the affiliated Jr. Canadiens minor midget squad.  O'Reilly would score his first junior goal that game and the following season, started his two year OHL career with the Erie Otters before joining the Colorado Avalanche organization.

Matt Read (Philadelphia Flyers) - Milton Icehawks, 2005/06
The native of Ilderton, Ontario played one full season in the OJHL as a 19-year old member of the Milton Icehawks in 2005-06.  Read led the Icehawks to the regular season title, as well as in scoring with 34 goals, 12th overall, and 68 points, 16th overall, as well as another 19  points in the playoffs as they were upset by Oakville.  He would also notch a goal and two assists for the North-West Conference in the 2006 OPJHL All-Star Game, and following a year in the USHL, spent four full seasons with the Bemidji State University Beavers before turning pro.

Mike Smith (Phoenix Coyotes) - Kingston Voyageurs, 1998-10
The native of Kingston, Ontario joined his hometown Vees for the entire 1998-99 and part of the 1999-00 season, which he split with the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs.  Smith would post a 3.51 goals against average in 16 games played during his full season as a 16-year old and would later play three seasons in the OHL before turning pro.

Congratulations to all four and best of luck in bringing home the gold for Canada!