Leblanc skates off to Canada Winter Games

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

Keen amateur hockey observers might have noticed the annual world under-17 men’s hockey winter tournament did not occur in late December and early January.

Not to fret. The event, which features the finest u-17 midget AAA and major junior players from Pacific and Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes has been replaced for this year only by the Canada Winter Games, which begin next Friday in Whitehorse. The Games are a different beast than the u-17 tournament. They’re far more high

profile, attracting national attention, including television coverage, and in the case of men’s hockey, scouts from United States prep schools, universities and even the NHL.

Team Quebec’s roster will feature three area players, including Kirkland native Mark Barberio, a former midget AAA Lac St. Louis Lion now playing for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Moncton Wildcats, Pointe Claire native Jordon Southorn, a former member of the midget espoir Lac St. Louis Tigers now toiling for the QMJHL P.E.I. Rocket and Kirkland resident Louis Leblanc of the midget AAA Lions.

While Barberio and Southorn are older, Leblanc, a graduate of the Lakeshore Hockey Association, made the squad as a 15-year-old — one of only two to do so, along with Simon Deprés-Bellavance of the midget AAA Laval-Bourassa Rousseau Sports.

The 5-foot-11, 160-pound Leblanc who attends Kuper Academy has been a standout this season for the Lions, and is currently leading the league in goals heading into this weekend’s action with 31 along with 16 assists. Blessed with tremendous skating abilities, a deft touch around the net and a keen desire to win, Leblanc could become the first Lion to be selected No. 1 overall in this spring’s QMJHL draft since Chris Montgomery in 1999. However, he still hasn’t given up the option of packing his bags and going south to play at a United States prep school next year.

“I consider playing at the Games a real privilege,” said Leblanc, who scored an overtime winner to give his atom AA Lakeshore Panthers a provincial championship in 2002. “I don’t know how much ice time I’ll get, being one of the younger guys on the team and all. What makes it nice though, is the coaching staff didn’t invite me to its summer evaluation camp. However, I guess my good start to the season changed their minds.”

Lions head coach Danny Dupont, who served as an assistant coach on last year’s gold-medal winning Quebec u-17 team, hasn’t altered his feelings about Leblanc from the moment he watched him during last spring’s evaluation camp.

“Louis still has a lot to learn in the game itself,” Dupont said. “But that will come with time. His desire to score goals and to be the best, though, is something you can’t teach.”

Puck note: Leblanc will miss the last three games of the season with the Lions, who dropped a 1-0 decision to Levis on Saturday night at the Dollard des Ormeaux Civic Centre.