Dillon Dube named to Team WHL for Canada/Russia Series

He hasn’t played a game yet this Western Hockey League season, but Calgary Flames prospect Dillon Dube has been named to Team WHL for the upcoming CIBC Canada/Russia Series.

Team WHL will play Team Russia on Nov. 7 in Prince George, BC and Nov. 8 in Edmonton, AB as part of a series of six games between the Canadian Hockey League and Russia.

A second round pick of the Flames in the 2016 NHL Draft, Dube was a point-per-game player for the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets last season. He turned 18 a month after the draft and was the youngest player at both Flames development camp this summer and rookie camp this fall. He’s been nursing a lower body injury and has yet to play in the regular season for the Rockets after playing two WHL preseason games and one NHL preseason contest.

He’s listed as week-to-week by the WHL, and presumably the thought is he’ll be ready to go in time for the pair of games with Russia. It likely speaks to the heads he’s turned around the league that Dube gets named to the team without having played yet this season, and indicates he’s likely a contender for a spot on Canada’s World Junior squad.

For the curious, the other WHL forwards are Tyler Benson, Giorgio Estephan, Jansen Harkins, Brett Howden, Nick Merkley, Nolan Patrick, Ty Ronning, Deven Sideroff, Tyler Soy, Sam Steel and Austin Wagner. Dube’s in some good company.