Cougars Prospect Raymond Grewal Makes Team BC Short List

One hurdle down. One more to go. Cougars prospect Raymond Grewal is one step closer to earning a spot on Team BC for the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

After going through a regional camp in March, Grewal and 55 other players took part in the BC Under-16 Provincial camp in Penticton, June 30-July 4. It was at that camp that players were evaluated by the Team BC coaching staff, led by Head Coach Russ Weber. 33 players were shortlisted from the group that attended the camp and Grewal made the list. The 6’1”, 170 pound Prince George product is one of 11 defenceman to move on to the next stage of evaluation for the Winter Games team that will represent BC at the 2011 Canada Winter Games, February 10-18. While Grewal was playing with and against the top players his age in the province, he was confident he belonged.

“I felt at camp I did pretty well,” said Grewal, the Cougars eighth pick in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft, going 107th overall in the fifth round. “I thought that I played my game and that I did enough to get short-listed. I was really excited when I found out, but this is just the first step, I still have to make the team”

Now Grewal will need to keep his play strong at the start of the upcoming 2010-11 season, as he hopes to lace up for the Midget AAA Cariboo Cougars. The 33 short-listed players by BC Hockey will be evaluated during the season, with the final roster selected in November and announced on December 1. Making Team BC gives Grewal even more incentive to start strong, much like the feeling he had last season going into his Bantam Draft year.

“I’ve been working really hard all off-season to make Team BC and the Major Midget team. Hopefully in a few years the Cougars,” added Grewal. “It’s a bit of pressure but it’s also something to work towards.”

Soon, Grewal and other Cougars prospects and returning players will hit the ice for Cougars training camp, which gets underway on Saturday, August 28 at CN Centre. The Cougars play their first exhibition game on Saturday, September 4 in St. Albert, Alberta, against the Medicine Hat Tigers. The Cougars host the Edmonton Oil Kings for their first pre-season games at CN Centre on September 10 and 11. The season gets underway on Friday, September 24 in Kamloops, with the Cougars home opener a week later on October 1 against the Vancouver Giants. Puck drop at CN Centre is 7:00 for all pre-season and regular season games, with the exception to the Cougars January 2 meeting with the Moose Jaw Warriors, slated for 2:00pm. Season Tickets are available by calling Ticketmaster at 250-564-5585