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Saanich player joins Junior Canucks

Nine-year-old will play at The Brick Invitational July 4 to 10 in Edmonton
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Gordon Head resident Matthew Lahey will play for the B.C. Junior Canucks at the Brick Invitational hockey tournament in Edmonton

Matthew Lahey is going to West Edmonton Mall, and he might even hang out a little when he gets there. If he has time.

Lahey is the latest Saanich player to be selected for B.C. Junior Canucks, one of just two players from the Island, for the Brick Invitational hockey tournament.

The Junior Canucks are the only team from B.C. that attends the invitational event, which is for players turning 10 in 2016.

Here in Saanich, Lahey plays for the Island champion Racquet Club atom A team that went undefeated. The defenceman made the Junior Canucks after a series of tryouts that started last summer in Vancouver. He was asked back in December.

“I wanted to play when two of the players from my Racquet Club team got to play the Junior Canucks last year,” Lahey said.

Hockey is taking the Grade 4 student from Braefoot elementary across Western Canada this summer as he’ll also visit Winnipeg for a tune-up tourney ahead of the Brick Invitational.

“I expect it will be fast, faster than what I’m used to,” said Lahey, who plays for the Island Stars in spring rep hockey. “I’m not crazy about all the travel but I like to play hockey.”

Lahey’s family will join him for the visit to the mall.

The Brick Invitational runs July 4 to 10. The B.C. Junior Canucks will face teams from Chicago, Alberta, Detroit, Saskatoon, Pennsylvania and Toronto.