The last 12 months have been quite the whirlwind for Roblin, Manitoba’s, Jakob Brook. First, he played his first full season with the Prince Albert Raiders. A season in which he had 14 total points as the team won the Western Hockey League
Now, the 17-year-old is off to Calgary as he’s been invited to Canada’s National Men’s Summer U18 Team selection camp from July 26-30.
If Jakob is successful, he’ll represent Canada at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup early next month in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
“It’s an awesome feeling. Only 43 others were invited, so I’m pretty pumped up,” added Brook. “It’s definitely a once in a lifetime experience.”
“I’m ready to showcase my strengths and hopefully, I can impress the coaches and scouts,” Brook continued.
Jakob’s older brother, Josh has worn the maple leaf on his jersey on a few different occasions. Most recently, he played on Hockey Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Vancouver and Victoria.
Josh will now play his first full season in the AHL with the Laval Rocket. With the advice that Josh has handed down to Jakob, he’s feeling there’s no reason he can’t make the team.
“Yeah, obviously you need to have confidence going in,” continued Brook. “I’m going in to make the team and if I don’t, it’s a letdown obviously. I’ll give it everything I have.”
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup goes from August 5-10 and Canada faces off against the Czech Republic, Finland, and Switzerland in the preliminary round. The bronze and gold medal games are on August 10.
If Jakob did get the opportunity to join the team, it would change his life.
“It would be awesome. You grow up wanting to play on Team Canada, it’s been my dream for as long as I can remember,” said Brook. “Seeing my brother playing for the team has really pushed me. I really want this.”
Come mid August, Jakob will be back in Prince Albert. The Raiders will ice a team that will look to defend the WHL title they won back on May 13.
