There will be a Kamloops Blazers player at the 2024 World Juniors in Sweden.
Defenceman Matteo Koci has been named to the Czechia roster for the annual holiday tournament, which gets underway on Boxing Day.
“This is my dream,” the 18-year-old Koci told NL Sports on Dec. 9 before departing for World Juniors selection camp.
“In 2020 World Juniors in Ostrava, I was young kid helping scrape ice in gold medal game. Now I want to play in tournament.”
In 28 games this season, the six-foot defenceman has a goal and six assists to his name.
Former Blazers goaltender Michael Schnattinger is also part of Team Czechia this year.
A member of the Bili Tygri Liberec U20 team, Schnattinger has played for his country at the U18 World Championship in 2022, where he finished with a 1-3-0 record, an .873 SV% and a 3.79 GAA in four games played.
Schnattinger – who posted a 1-2-2 record, an .880 SV%, and a 3.74 GAA in nine games with the Blazers last season – was released after the Memorial Cup hosts acquired Slovakian forward Jakub Demek.
The upstart Czechs are defending silver medallists at this year’s tournament, which was held in Halifax and Moncton. They beat eventual champions Canada 5-3 in the round robin stage before upsetting Sweden 2-1 in overtime in the semi-finals.
Blazers Head Coach and General Manager, Shaun Clouston, is an assistant coach on Team Canada this year.
The Canadian team was also set feature Fraser Minten and Tanner Molendyk, who both have ties to Kamloops.
The 18-year-old Molendyk was later ruled out of the tournament due to injury.