By Aaron Bell
Team Canada's gain may be the Windsor Spitfires pain during the next few weeks.
Four Spitfires - including Taylor Hall and Adam Henrique, the top two scorers in the OHL through the first half of the season, were selected to help Team Canada challenge for its sixth straight gold medal at the World Junior Championships this Christmas in Saskatoon, SK.
Defenceman Ryan Ellis returns after helping Canada win last year in Ottawa and forward Greg Nemisz was also selected to the roster to give the Canadians an all-Spitfires line.
"It speaks really well to how (head coach) Bob Boughner and Warren Rychel have put together a quality program," Canadian head scout Al Murray told the Windsor Star. "They've shone at the Memorial Cup and in the OHL, a couple have been with our under-18 (team) and (Ryan) Ellis was (with last year's World Junior team). It speaks more to what a good job Windsor's done."
Ellis, an 18-year-old from Freelton, ON, was named the OHL's Most Outstanding Defenceman last season before being selected in the first round, 11th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Hall, Henrique and Nemisz played on a line together during the selection camp and that familiarity helped them get comfortable right away.
"It's definitely been nice being here with teammates, especially getting to play with Hall and Henrique," Nemisz said. "There was more of a comfort zone having played together so much with them in Windsor. We just do what we normally do.
"There's a reason why they brought you here, so you can't go changing your game."
Nemisz scored three goals and five points in the first two intra-squad games at the final selection camp.
"The intensity is of a completely different level," Nemisz said. "There's no room to do anything."
Canada plays a pair of exhibition games next week before opening the tournament on Boxing Day against Latvia.
Other OHL players that made the cut for Team Canada this year include returnees Stefan Della Rovere of the Barrie Colts and Alex Pietrangelo of the Niagara IceDogs as well as Calvin de Hann of the Oshawa Generals and Nazem Kadri of the London Knights.
Ellis, Della Rovere, and Pietrangelo were each named alternate captains for Team Canada along with fellow returning players Colten Teubert and Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats. Patrice Cormier of the Rimouski Oceanic will serve as team captain.
