Golden Effort by Canada U16's
Golden Effort as Canada Captures the Junior U16 World Championship
with a 3-1 win over the Americans
Prague, Czech Republic - Once again, the National Ball Hockey Association of Canada (NBHAC) leads the way.
Formal street and ball hockey competition on the international stage dates back to the early 1990’s, when then OBHA President Pat McEvoy (2002 Builders Hall of Fame) helped to bring teams from Slovakia and the Czech Republic to our country for a series of exhibition games against representative clubs from Ontario. The Europeans, who thoroughly enjoyed the Canadian game and our hospitality, continued to return to participate in the infamous Can-Am Challenge Tournament in Oshawa each year thereafter. It was this competitive exchange that led to the very first World Ball Hockey Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia in 1996 where Canada captured the inaugural gold medal in our sport on the global stage.
The Ontario Ball Hockey Association was instrumental in spearheading the Men’s World Championships in 1996 and subsequently led the way in not only making the Junior World tournament a reality, but setting the standard for the competition by winning the Under-20 title in the Czech Republic in 2000.
Well, once again, the NBHAC led the way in 2016 as the Team Canada Juniors travelled to Prague, Czech Republic in June. There were no less than twenty players and administrators from the NBHAC representing our country in Europe.
In a beautifully picturesque city of Prague, the world came to see the World Ball Hockey Federation Championships to gather and crown a World Junior Ball Hockey Champion, emblematic of ball hockey supremacy in the World.
How the team came together…
The team was selected after scouting major events during 2015, from which an original list of 44 players was dwindled down to a 20 player roster in the fall of 2015. Canada’s Under 16 team was a collection of young men that traveled abroad for a tournament they will not soon forget. The boys gathered for exhibition games in Penetanguishene and Oshawa for team building and games versus U17 select teams where they could work on systems and strategies.
Upon arrival in Europe the team was faced with what would turn out to be its biggest challenge, getting their body and minds ready with the time change. The team played an exhibition game versus Plzen U17 team on day two in preparation of the tournament.
On to the round robin games…
In the teams first preliminary round game the Canadians scored early and dominated the over matched Americans. The Canadians would shake off the pre tournament jitters and jet lag to dominate the encounter with a win 7-2 win.
Game two would see the team face its first test of adversity against the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic were a strong disciplined defensive juggernaut with outstanding goaltending. The seesaw battle would eventually see the Canadians battle to a 2-0. A win by either team would more than likely send the other into two/three semi final match up.
The next day the boys arose knowing a win over Slovakia would guarantee them first place and they would not disappoint with a solid team effort and 9-1 victory.
Canada would again face Slovakia in the semi final and outcome was similar with the Red and White machine scoring early and often and prepared for the final with a 9-1 win.
The Championship Gold medal would be decided between Canada versus their historical and geographical rivals, United States of America. We looked to be the class of the tournament, but that is why they play the games and USA wanted to redeem the earlier loss on opening day. Canada built a 2-0 lead into the second period and would extend the lead to 3-0 early in the third. Team USA found new life when a fortunate goal brought them to within two. The moment was Canada’s and giving up the goal seemed to get the team refocused which continued through until the end of the game and to capture the championship 3-1.
The Canadian contingent was comprised of the following:
Scott Jacobi, General Manager, Head Coach, Nelson Lajeunesse, Assistant Coaches, Mike Porter & Stephen Dockerty, Goalies: Connor Dunford, Michael Josslin, Defence: Christopher Adlys, Nathan Balkwill, Jake Deault, Ryan Mota, Cameron Owens, Clayton Stutt, Forwards: Diego Arreola, Owen Bell, Patrick Brown, Ethan Lajeunesse, Cole Leal, Darcy Lescard, Eric Maltby, Tyson Moore, Daniel Nardi, Cole Schwindt, Jarret Singer and Robert Skolud
Canadians Nathan Balkwill and Cole Leal captured individual all start team honours. The balance of the tournament all stars were
G – Josef Nekecek (Czech Republic), D – Joe Russo (USA), F - Adam Klapka (Czech Republic), F – Jack Kendal (USA) with top scorer from USA, Ryan Peralta and Canada’s Leal, Tournament MVP.
#wbhf2016prague #jtcworlds #jtcballhockey #BeTheStandard #WeAreTeamCanada
Taking Their Ball and Going to Prague
William Calverley and Jason Pineo will trade in their skates for shoes this summer and represent Canada at the 2016 World Ball Hockey Federation Junior World Championships
Courtesy of Hockey Canada web site
David Brien
April 21, 2016
With summer just around the corner, Canada’s game will soon head outdoors – if it hasn’t already – with street hockey taking over roads from coast to coast to coast in an annual Canadian hockey tradition.
But for William Calverley and Jason Pineo, their games won’t be stopped by someone yelling “Car!”
The North York Rangers teammates, who are competing for a national championship this week at the 2016 TELUS Cup, will take their talents onto the international stage for a second time this summer, competing for Canada’s under-18 team at the World Ball Hockey Federation Junior World Championships.
They’ll have a few months to recover from a long playoff run with the Rangers, and the thrill of going for gold in Quispamsis, N.B., before the ball drops June 26 in Prague, Czech Republic.
“I’m very excited for the worlds,” Calverley says. “I heard Prague is one of the nicest places in the world, so I’m really looking forward to being out there and seeing what it’s all about.”
Ball hockey teammates since they were 10 years old, the duo are no strangers to the international game, with a WBHF world title already in their possession; they were part of Canada’s U18 contingent two years ago as 15-year-olds, helping win a gold medal at the most recent worlds in Budapest, Hungary.
“It’s our second time around, and we’ll be looking to repeat,” Calverley says.
The road to Team Canada started innocently enough; Calverley and Pineo were scouted with their North York Lynx club team at the Ontario provincial championship in 2013, and invited to a Team Canada camp that summer.
The rest is history.
The ball hockey season is short, running from May to July, so it never overlaps with the on-ice season, and although Calverley and Pineo can rely on their ice hockey skills most of the time, there are a few ball-specific nuances.
“The major adjustment you have to make is that unlike in [ice] hockey you can’t just glide back,” Pineo says. “Obviously you’re always running, so I think that’s where it kind of separates a lot of teams. Conditioning is really big.
“In ball hockey there’s also a rule called the ‘floating blue-line,’ which means that once you enter the offensive zone, the blue-line becomes the red line. So you use your defencemen a lot more because there’s that much more room.”
Rule differences aside, their trip to Canada’s National Midget Championship with the Rangers has given Calverley and Pineo a unique opportunity to get ready for worlds, and both know the TELUS Cup experience will serve them well in Prague.
“I’m looking to work on my leadership [this week],” Calverley, the North York captain, says. “What we saw in the last worlds we went to, and that we’ll see again this week, is what it’s like to compete against top talent and knowing what it takes to win.
“I want to play in different situations at the TELUS Cup, so that I’m not as nervous when I wear the red and white.”
For his longtime friend, who also wears a letter on his jersey for the Central Region champions, the TELUS Cup is a place to learn valuable lessons about playing in a tournament like the one they’ll be thrust into in a few months.
“Going into [the TELUS Cup], just like in the worlds, you don’t really know who you’re playing because you’ve never faced them before,” Pineo says. “You might hear some stuff about the other teams, but you really don’t know what to expect. You can really just worry about your own team and what you can do, and do the best you can.”
So the next few months are a two-step process; the immediate goal is to become the second consecutive Ontario team to win the TELUS Cup, followed by a second world championship gold.
Seems easy enough, right? Especially with a little bit of confidence.
“My expectations for the worlds are pretty much the same as this week,” Pineo says of earning a pair of gold medals. “The main thing is just to have that winning mentality.”
JTC Jerseys Revealed
TORONTO – April 11 - The National Ball Hockey Association of Canada (NBHAC) today revealed their jerseys for the 2016 Junior U20 World Ball Hockey Federation Championships being hosted in Prague, Czech Republic, June 26-July 3 and the team will carry the VINTAGE Home Red and the CLASSIC Away Black.
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-20 leafs/one per player (6 on the front and 6 on the back with 4 on each sleeve) with the NBHAC logo in the upper right corner -JTC logo on the shoulders -5 leafs above the number and along the shoulders is for the five World Championships the U20 program has won in 2000, 2008, 2010, 2012 & 2014 -the front has the TC leaf with CANADA across the top in ATHLETIC style font and player number below in the centre of the leaf which represents our country from sea to shining sea -the back player number will appear over the TC leaf symbolic of our great nation -the numbers on the sleeves will appear between the lines which signify the CN railroad which runs across our great nation -there will be a string collar which ties OUR team and OUR nation together from the support of your family and friends whom will be cheering on OUR team Every member of this TEAM is an ambassador for the sport, locally, provincially and nationally. WE are what others measure their success after and WE will set the standard by which all others are measured.
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20 leafs/one per player (6 on the front and 6 on the back with 4 on each sleeve) with the NBHAC logo in the upper right corner -JTC logo on the shoulders -5 leafs above the number and along the shoulders is for the five World Championships the U20 program has won in 2000, 2008, 2010, 2012 & 2014 -CANADA across the top in ATHLETIC style font and player number below to the left -there is a box (red with white trim) which runs across the chest, over the shoulders and across the back which binds the team -the back player number will appear over the two lines which are symbolic of the CN railroad which runs across our great nation -JTC logo on the lower centre back -there will be a string collar is what ties OUR team and OUR nation together from the support of your family and friends whom will be cheering on OUR team Every member of this TEAM is an ambassador for the sport, locally, provincially and nationally. WE are what others measure their success after and WE will set the standard by which all others are measured.
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#wbhf2016prague #WeTheGame #WeAreBallHockey #WeAreTeamCanada #BeTheStandard
The World 3vs3 Ball Hockey announcement
The World 3vs3 Championship Ball Hockey Championships
are coming to Quebec in 2016!
In December of 2015, the World Ball Hockey Federation (WBHF) selected Canada to host the 2nd World 3vs3 Ball Hockey Championship to be hosted September 20 to 24 and presented by Coupe Burrows as the host organization.
On March 31 in Montreal the official press conference for this historic event as it will be the first time the World Championships will be held in Quebec. The Deputy Prime Minister, Ms. Lise Thériault, attended and welcomed the event to the Greater Montreal area.
The Coupe Burrows joins the Complex JC Perreault in St-Roch-de-Bass for the organization of this international event, which will attract the delegations of about fifteen countries. With facilities at the leading edge and a team of passionate people who believed in the project, all the ingredients are in place to make it a winning recipe. This event will be a hub for the development of ball hockey 3 vs 3 in the world.
This is excellent news for all the ball/dek hockey fans in Quebec who will have the chance to see the different countries who will fight for the title of world champion. At present the Canada are the reigning champions in the men’s division and Slovakia in the women’s division which was held in Bratislava, Slov akia in 2015. This event hopes to add Master’s (O40) division’s for both men’s and women’s divisions
Also, during the tournament, Coupe Burrows will be hosting the Classic Burrows Montcalm during September 23 to 25. With the use of two internal surfaces which will be used for the World Championships, the four exterior surfaces of the dek hockey Montcalm will serve for the Classic tournament. We expect no less than 150 teams for this Classic that will allow everyone to see the Czech Republic, Greece, Russia, Slovakia, United States of America and Canada as host along with other nations.
We will keep everyone updated in the coming months with news on the WBHF website www.wbhf.info and click news or the 3 on 3 website http://wbhfc2016.com or www.coupeburrows.com
This will still be in our image, a great ball hockey festival not to be missed!
Zimni Stadium Eden Prague To Host World Junior Championships
The host arena is Zimni Stadium Eden Prague, and built in 1975 and the arena is within a couple kilometers of our hotel, and easily accessible by public transit from both the hotel and the city center. The arena has seating for 5138, and plays on a concrete surface.
HC Slavia Prague is home to the Czech ice hockey team located in Prague playing the Czech 1st National Hockey League. HC Slavia has played in the building from1994 until present, winning the national championship in 2003 and 2008. The club plays its home games at Zimní Stadium Eden in Prague.
The World Ball Hockey Federation will welcome 16-18 teams from Canada, Hungary, Russia, Slovakia, United States of America, West Indies and hosts Czech Republic and schedule will be posted on June 1. At this time the WBHF is awaiting confirmation from India, Ireland and Pakistan.
Canada Cup of Ball Hockey
Canada Cup of Ball Hockey – Men’s Tier II, Tier III & Tier IV
The 2016 National Ball Hockey Association of Canada Men’s Tier II, Tier III, Tier IV Canada Cup of Ball Hockey National Championships will be played in Moncton, New Brunswick the weekend of July 21-24, 2016.
The tournament will take place at venues in Moncton and updates on competing teams will be provided as teams prepare to face off against teams from across Canada. The event will guarantee four games for all the teams at a cost of $800.
For more information, please contact the National Ball Hockey Association of Canada at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and they will forward entry forms and host hotel information to the competing teams.
2016 National Ball Hockey Championships
The 2016 National Ball Hockey Association of Canada Men’s and Women’s Hockey National Championships will be played in Brampton, Ontario the weekend of July 21-24, 2016.
The tournament will take place at Century Gardens and updates on competing teams will be provided as teams prepare to face off against teams from across North America. The event will guarantee four games for all the teams at a cost of $2000 as this is a cash prize tournament.
Men’s division
Women’s divisions
Entry Fee: $2000.00
Every team will be guaranteed 4 games
Two 20 minute stop time periods
Registration Deadline: May 31, 2016
The schedule of games will be posted by July 1, but anticipate to play one game Thursday evening, two games Friday and the last round robin game Saturday morning. The elimination round will commence Saturday evening.
Tournament Format
Thursday afternoon/evening – Game #1
Friday morning – Game #2
Friday afternoon – Game #3
Saturday morning – Game 4
Saturday afternoon – Game #5 (AA or A Semi Final)
Sunday morning – Championship (AA & A Games)
The teams are permitted to register a maximum of any 25 players, but may dress 2 goalies and 20 runners.
For more information, please contact the National Ball Hockey Association of Canada at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and they will forward entry forms and host hotel information to the competing teams.
China To Host The 2017 World Championships
Ball Hockey history will once again be rewritten as the 2017 World Ball Hockey Federation Championships will be hosted in Yichun, China.
The city of Yichun lies in the North China province of Heilongjiang. The representatives of China Street & Ball Hockey Xiang Hanping and Yang Zhang have met the World Ball Hockey Federation mandate and will make this first World Championship in street & ball hockey on the Asian continent historical.
The tournament will be hosted in June (the exact date will be posted after the visit of the leadership group in Beijing WBHF) and will offer the Men, Women and Masters divisions. The MS hopes to have at least 16 countries participating and the event will have a huge media support of State television and many other local and provincial media CCTV5. Xiang Hanping commented, "As everyone knows, China, is very beautiful and this event will allow us to show the world of ball hockey our wonderful city and country.”
We hope that the athletes and many guests will also visit our capital city Beijing and visit the great wall, the forbidden city and other historical gems of our country by choice "-said Yang Zhang Advisor WBHF for China.
#wbhf2017yichun
Luca Caputi Moves On From Playing Career
Photos are personal property and have been submitted for the story
Coaching Luca Caputi knew he wanted to be a coach one day and he is currently an assistant coach of the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League.
He started playing ball hockey in the OBHA in the Vaughan Minor program and went on to win a Provincial Championship with the Vaughan Top Guns. 
He returned to ball hockey in 2012 and was selected to the National Ball Hockey Association of Canada's (NBHAC) Men's Team Canada where he was a top scorer and the team went on to win the World Ball Hockey Federation Gold medals.
As the current Toronto Jr. Canadiens surge in the rankings for the 2016 OHL Cup, one of their graduates is overcoming the challenges of being a first-year coach in junior hockey. Luca Caputi last donned the JRC red, white and blue in 2003-04 when he posted a 107-point season before being selected 37th overall by the Mississauga Steelheads in the 2004 OHL draft.
Russia Excited About Ball Hockey
Interview with Khamid Yunusov, Vice President of WBHF- "Russia want to achieve the highest top plate in the Ball hockey."
Are you satisfied with performances "ZBORNAJA KAMANDA" at World Championship 3vs3 in Bratislava?
We were very satisfied. Russia won two bronze medals (EC, WC) and the team showed that they prepared for the championship. Our managers Mr. Kocherin and Mr. Markidan put together an excellent team. Our goalkeeper Kapitulin was named to the all star team. In the sport of ball hockey our goal is to reach the top and there are many possibilities in Russia.
What are the future plans?
In 2016, our focus is on the Junior World Championships in Prague and Seniors World Championships 3vs3 in Montreal. The WC event in Bratislava has created very good feedback in Russia so it will be easy to create teams for all WBHF events. There are lots of ball hockey players in Russia.
You lost the battle with Montreal to organize the World Championship 3vs3 2016. Do you still interested in organize the WC?
Montreal had a much better presentation than Moscow and we can learn so much from this host organization. We will turn our focus to organize a World Championship 3vs3 2017 and the Junior World Championships in 2018. These events will allow the opportunity to promote this wonderful sport on the largest country in the world.
What are the candidate cities?
We have had many cities as Moscow, Kazan, Sochi and Nalchik show interest in hosting. We'll see which city makes the best offer and convince the WBHF management as the WBHF delegate will travel to Russia in April 2016 to decide on the final candidature.