Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Pair earn Canadian invite

A pair of Sabres defensive prospects will be packing their bags for a chance to play at the World Junior Championship as Mark Pysyk of the Edmonton Oil Kings and Jerome Gauthier-Leduc of the Rimouski Oceanic have been named to the roster for Team Canada's selection camp being held next month in Calgary.

Leduc, who currently leads all QMJHL blueliners with 13 goals and 36 points, and Pysyk, the Oil Kings' responsible two-way captain, were the only Sabres prospects to attend Canada's summer evaluation camp in August.

Pysyk, a 2010 first round pick of the Buffalo Sabres, for one, has been waiting a year for another shot.

“Yeah, since last year when I was up at six in the morning waiting for the phone call,” he said. “I didn’t sleep at all that night (before the final cuts). I was up rolling around, waiting.

“My roommate was Marcus Foligno,” continued Pysyk, “and when I picked up the phone, he said ‘is Mark there? I thought maybe there was a slight chance he wanted Marcus ... but it was me.

“I’m looking forward to another crack at it. I’m fortunate enough to get another chance.”


While Pysyk and Leduc will get a shot, Kevin Sundher's quick start was not rewarded with a camp selection.

"It's obviously a tough pill to swallow," said Sundher, who has 16 goals and 40 points this season.

"It's disappointing. It's not the news I wanted to hear. It was a goal of mine coming into this season but now it can't be reached. I'll focus on my other goals, which are winning games in Victoria and signing a pro deal [he was taken in the third round of the 2010 NHL draft by the Buffalo Sabres]."

The fleet-footed Sundher missed two and two-thirds games with an upper body injury during a crucial stretch earlier this month.

"Everyone has setbacks they have to deal with and there can be no excuses," he said.


Camp opens December 10th in Calgary.