If you know a trivia buff who is difficult to stump, go ahead and ask them to point to Quispamsis on a map.
Small island country in the eastern Caribbean? New Australian province? County in outer Mongolia?
Quispamsis, N.B., is one of the hosts of the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge that runs from Nov. 3 to 10. Along with nearby Saint John, it will be home to many of the best under-17 hockey players in the world.
Canada will have three entries in the tournament: Canada White, Canada Black and Canada Red. This is something that Hockey Canada has done since 2015. Prior to that, the country had been divided into five regions and provided five different teams.
If you are from London or are a London Knights fan, the question of who to cheer for has been made nice and simple this year. All three London connections in Saint John and Quispamsis are part of Canada White.
Luke Evangelista was one of 66 players selected by Hockey Canada to play, and he will be on the ice in front of two coaches who have played for the Knights — one of whom just happens to be a London coach right now.
Dylan Hunter will be an assistant to former Knight Brett Gibson, who played at the London Ice House during the eggplant-and-teal days of the 1999-2000 season. Gibson also spent time with Erie and North Bay during his OHL career and is presently the head coach of the Queen’s Gaels in the OUA.
Hunter has been pulling double duty lately. He’s been coaching with the Knights and has also been getting up to speed on the players he will see on Canada White.
“It’s been a good experience. (As you prepare for this tournament,) you don’t have much in the way of pre-scouting video. A lot of it has been focused on our identity and what we are going to do when we get there in the way of scheduling and getting the team ready.”
The Under-17 World Hockey Challenge was held in London in 2008. That was the year Taylor Hall and Matt Duchene paced Team Ontario to a gold-medal win in front of just shy of 9,000 people at what is now Budweiser Gardens.
That gives you an idea of just how big the names on the ice in New Brunswick could grow to be in the future.
The tournament also comes at a really good time for some of the youngest players in the OHL, WHL and QMJHL.
“It gives them confidence,” says Hunter. “It’s their first chance to be able to wear the Canada jersey so they are always hyped up and ready to go. It gives them a chance to play more because, as young players, they aren’t always getting a whole lot of ice time with their junior teams. This way, they are back against their peers.”
It also takes players back to some of their minor hockey days, when games are not so spread out. Junior teams can play three games in three days, but as Hunter points out, the under-17s hit a whole other level that way.
“We have six games in seven days, so it’s just important for everyone to get together and do the job they need to do,” he said.
Much like the players, most of whom will be wearing the maple leaf for the first time, many of the coaches, including Dylan Hunter, are new as well.
“That’s something that you certainly appreciate. But there’s lots of work to do if you want to be successful. True appreciation may come after the tournament,” Hunter said.
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