BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
Sudbury Wolves forward Nick Foligno is
bleeding red, white and blue these days.
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Nick Foligno added red to his
traditional blue and white jersey during tryouts for
2006 World Junior Team. |
Buffalo-born Foligno, 17, recently attended
the Team USA National Junior Evaluation Hockey Camp in Lake
Placid, New York.
The camp was used to evaluate the top
American-born players for the 2006 World Junior Team. The team
will compete at the 2006 World Junior Hockey Championships,
which will be held in Vancouver, Kamloops, and Kelowna, B.C.,
from Dec. 26, 2005 to Jan. 5, 2006.
Foligno used his trademark moxie and smooth
skill to make an impression on Team USA's top brass. "Nick is a
great young man and a very talented player," said Walt Kyle,
head coach of the Junior squad. "He knows the game and it's
evident he's the product of solid coaching. His strengths are
his work ethic and feel for the game, as well as his
tenacity."
Besides participating in training sessions at
the camp, Foligno played in four exhibition games with Team USA
White.
The White team played a game against the Team
USA Blue squad, one game against the Sweden Junior Team and two
games against the Finland Junior team.
Foligno made his mark, helping Team White to
a perfect 4-0 record. Along the way, Foligno popped a goal and
added an assist.
Foligno's play and willingness at the camp
will keep him in the eyes of Team USA. "Nick fit in very well
and is very much in the picture for USA Hockey both now and in
the future," said Kyle.
Foligno soaked up the experience and came
away a better player. "It was an unbelievable camp," said
Foligno. "There were so many great players there. It opened my
eyes to what I could be doing come this December. I have come a
long way, and hopefully I did what I had to do to make that
team."
Foligno learned he's on the right track with
how he plays the game.
"What I have been doing so far has got me
here and I have to keep it up," said Foligno. "I have to keep
working hard though. I want to make the team to prove to the
world I am a good caliber player and belong there. To represent
my country would be an awesome honour for me."
Foligno relished the chance to play with the
best junior hockey players in the United States, which included
numerous NHL first-round draft picks such as Bobby Ryan (second
overall to Anaheim in 2005), Jack Skille (seventh overall to
Chicago in 2005), Rob Schremp (25th overall to Edmonton in
2004), along with potential number one NHL pick in 2006, Phil
Kessel.
"To play with and against those
highly-skilled players was just awesome," said Foligno. "You
get tape-to-tape passes and everybody is just flying out there
on the ice. It just makes you want to be a better player. It
was also cool to put on that Team USA jersey, you don't get a
better feeling than that."
Foligno will find out in December if he made
the squad. "We are entering the last phase of the selection
process for the team and that will consist of evaluating all
the candidates, including Nick, over the first half of their
season," said Kyle. "I will be in to see Nick play and will be
monitoring his progress."
