When the Spengler Cup kicks off in Davos, Switzerland on Boxing Day, a pair of British Columbia Hockey League graduates will be the last line of defence for Canada's Men's National Team.
Chilliwack Chiefs' alumnus Wade Dubielewicz and Nanaimo Clippers counterpart David LeNeveu will form Canada's goaltending tandem at the tournament, which also includes domestic league champions from Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Germany and Belarus.
Dubielewicz is currently playing for the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League, where he has posted a 7-7-0 record with a goals-against average of 2.21 in 17 appearances. The 30-year old has made National Hockey League stops with the New York Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets and had a stint in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League during the 2008/09 campaign.
LeNeveu, a Fernie, B.C. native, is in his first season with Austria's Salzburg EC after six years spent primarily in the AHL. The 26-year old was a second round pick of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2002, and made 21 NHL appearances with the club. He has also made pro stops in Springfield, Utah, San Antonio, Hartford and Iowa.
The 2009 Spengler Cup begins on December 26th when HC Dynamo Minsk takes on Davos and Canada faces HC Energie Karlovy Vary. The Championship Game, which will pit the first and second place teams from the five-team round robin, is set for December 31st on TSN.
