Game On Magazine 2017 Nov Game On low res | Page 56

Whitecloud leads three
Manitobans onto Team Canada
B Y S C O T T TAY L O R
Photo by Dave Cizek
I
n what many consider a
huge surprise, 20-year-
old Zach Whitecloud
from Brandon is now on
Canada’s Olympic radar.
Whitecloud, a
defenseman from Brandon
who played his junior career
with the Virden Oil Capitals
and now plays for the Bemidji
State University Beavers, has
been named to Team Canada
for the 2017 Karjala Cup,
which will be played from Nov.
8-12 in Helsinki, Finland,
and Biel, Switzerland.
It’s an amazing step for
Whitecloud who just completed
his first year at Bemidji and not
only played regularly as a true
freshman, he was also a member
of the Beavers first power-play.
ZACH WHITECLOUD,
BEMIDJI STATE
BEAVERS
5 6 | G AM E ON | N OVEM BER 2017
Whitecloud will be joined
on the team by two other
Manitobans: 25-year-old
forward Quinton Howden, the
former Moose from Oakbank,
Man., who now plays with
Dinamo Minsk in the KHL and
31-year-old Chay Genoway
from Morden who plays with
Lada Togliatti in the KHL.
“We are bringing together
a group of players who
are on our radar for the
upcoming Olympic Winter
Games as part of our ongoing
evaluation process,” said
Team Canada GM Sean Burke
in a written statement.
“These 26 players are part
of the larger group that is
still under consideration
for the Olympic team; 10 of
these players were not with
us in August in Russia.
“As a management group
and coaching staff, our
priority is putting the best
possible team together, and
we will continue to evaluate
every Canadian player
that’s eligible to represent
their country at the 2018
Olympic Winter Games.”
Whitecloud is a member of
Sioux Valley First Nation just
west of Brandon. He learned
his hockey playing on the
rinks of Western Manitoba,
played high school hockey in
his first year of midget and
then played for the Central
Plains Capitals before going
back to Brandon to play with
the Triple A midget Brandon
Wheat Kings. He then spent
two solid seasons with the Oil
Capitals in Virden and moved
on to Bemidji State, but admits
he was a little overwhelmed
with how well things went
with the Beavers last year.
“I was definitely shocked,”
said Whitecloud. “I spend a
big part of my day reminding
myself that I can’t squander
this kind of opportunity.”
Now, at age 20,
Whitecloud has another
amazing opportunity. In
two weeks, we’ll know how
he stacks up against some
of the best international
pros in the world. ❍