scOTT HADDOW
Win or lose tonight, Sudbury Wolves fans will
have something to cheer about.
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Jeff Vinnick Defenceman Marc Staal opened plenty
of eyes at the 2006 WJC by earning Top Defenceman
honours. |
The Wolves organization will pay tribute to
defenceman Marc Staal and forward Ben Pouliot before the game
for winning gold with Team Canada at the 2006 World Junior
Championship (WJC) in Vancouver recently.
Pouliot was his usually slick self, and
finished the elite event with five points in six games.
Staal had the tournament of a lifetime. The
Thunder Bay native earned all kinds of praise from hockey
experts around the world for his sound positioning and
rock-steady play. For his efforts, Staal was named the Top
Defenceman at the WJC. It was the first time a Wolves player
had ever earned an
individual award at the annual event.
Wolves head coach and GM Mike Foligno can't
wait to hear the roar from the local faithful when Staal and
Pouliot are commended for their fine, and at times, stunning
play at the WJC.
"Everybody in Sudbury should be proud of Marc
and Ben," said Foligno. "They played well and represented the
city, team, themselves, their hometowns and Canada well."
The two stars were still in shock last week
when they arrived late Friday evening and made their way to the
game.
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Jeff Vinnick Ben Pouliot was an important part
of Team Canada at the 2006 WJC. His five assists tied
for the team lead with defenceman Luc Bourdon. |
For Staal, it was another taste of
international gold, as he captured a gold medal at the World
Under-17 Hockey Challenge two years ago in
Newfoundland with Team Ontario.
"It was awesome...And it felt really good to
win," said Staal last week.
Staal was a punishing force all tournament,
especially in the championship game, where he effectively shut
down Russia's top player, Evgeni Malkin and made him a
non-factor.
For Pouliot, it was a satisfying
encounter.
"It was a great experience...To win was
unbelievable," said Pouliot last week.
Foligno hopes the entire championship winning
experience rubs off on every player in the dressing room.
"Those two players went there with the
mindset they were going to win gold," said Foligno. "I hope
they keep the same mentality here."
