A pair of Bomber players have made the cut to join Team Canada West at the upcoming World Junior A Challenge.
Defenceman Luke Lepper and forward Koen Senft were both named to the final roster for the upcoming tournament, according to an announcement by Hockey Canada Dec. 5. Lepper and Senft, along with Bomber head coach and general manager Mike Reagan (who is the team’s head coach), are currently in Alberta for camp ahead of the tournament, which starts Dec. 9.
The tournament is open to the best players age 19 and younger in Canadian and American junior A leagues. Canada fields two teams - Team Canada East, made up of players from Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes and Team Canada West, with players from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba leagues.
Lepper, a 19-year-old originally from Brandon, is in his second year on the Bomber blueline and has become a key member of the team’s defence. Playing significant time on the team’s powerplay unit, Lepper has 13 points in 23 games so far this season, including 11 assists.
Senft, an 18-year-old forward also in his second year as a Bomber, hails from Regina. A former first-round pick of the Bombers in the SJHL draft, Senft has been a significant part of the team’s top two lines all season and has 22 points in 23 games, leading all Bombers with 15 assists and 13 points on the powerplay.
Reagan has coached Team Canada West three times in the past, once as a video coach in 2015 and again as the team’s head coach in 2016 and 2017. With Reagan on the bench, Team Canada West won gold in both 2015 and 2017 - the team has won gold at the event six times since it was first held in 2006.
The two Bombers are joined by two other SJHL players named to the team. Humboldt Broncos forward Connor Miller and Kindersley Klippers defender Jaxon Herchak. Two other SJHL players who were named to the team's training camp roster, Humboldt's Oakley McIlwain and Jacob Strizzi, did not make the final cut.
Lepper, Senft and Reagan will be away from the Bombers until at least Dec. 16. In the meantime, Reagan's spot as the Bombers' head coach will be occupied by assistant coach Cole McCaig for the next four Bomber games.
Team Canada West will play a pre-tournament game against the U.S. before the tournament itself takes place, going from Dec. 9-16 in Camrose, Alta. Team Canada West will play their first game Dec. 9 against Sweden.
Five Bombers have played in the tournament in past years - Cole Wilson did so in 2008, followed by Brandon Lesko and Cory Thomas in 2016, Chrystopher Collin in 2017 and former Bomber call-up Owen Ozar in 2019. Former Bomber Michael Young was named to Team Canada West one year, but did not take part due to injury. Bomber equipment manager and athletic therapist Jason “J-Rock” Savill worked with the team last season for the tournament and was part of the team’s gold medal-winning effort.
