Adam, Byron to face Russians

Sabres prospects Luke Adam and Paul Byron have been selected to skate for the QMJHL in next month's ADT Canada/Russia Challenge.

Players from the QMJHL eligible to play for Canada at the 2009 world junior hockey championships (age 19 and under) starting Dec. 26 in Ottawa were chosen to the squad that will face a team of Russian select players Nov. 17 in Sydney, N.S., and Nov. 19 in Saint John, N.B. The Russians will then face the Ontario Hockey League and conclude the series against the Western Hockey League. The Canadian Hockey League is hosting the Russians in a six-game series for the sixth straight year. The CHL is 25-5 versus Russia. The players for the Canada-Russia Challenge will be evaluated by Hockey Canada head scout Al Murray, Quinn and Boucher for possible invitations to the Canadian junior team’s selection camp in early December. “It’s a great opportunity for the players to get some national exposure,” Boucher said in a statement. “There are two things that players need to focus on to stand out: speed and feistiness. When comparing two equally talented players, the one who battles and ultimately comes out with the puck will draw the most attention.”

The full QMJHL roster is as follows: Goaltenders - Jake Allen (Montreal); Maxime Clermont (Gatineau); Olivier Roy (Cape Breton). Defencemen - Mathieu Brodeur (Cape Breton); Marc-Andre Bourdon (Rouyn-Noranda); Simon Despres (Saint John); Brandon Gormley (Moncton); Alex Grant (Saint John); Hubert Labrie (Gatineau); Kevin Marshall (Quebec); Charles-Antoine Roussel (Shawinigan); Marco Scandella (Val-d’Or); Yann Sauve (Saint John). Forwards - Luke Adam (Montreal); Paul Byron (Gatineau); Jordan Caron (Rimouski); Patrice Cormier (Rimouski); Philippe Cornet (Rimouski); Nicolas Deschamps (Chicoutimi); Christopher DiDomenico (Saint John); Angelo Esposito (Montreal); Olivier Fortier (Rimouski); Dave Labrecque (Shawinigan); Logan MacMillan (Halifax); Maxime Sauve (Val-d’Or); Kelsey Tessier (Quebec) Last season, Jean-Simon Allard replaced the injured Benjamin Breault (at that point a Sabres prospect) for Team QMJHL.