Whitehorse's 'The Kid' headed to world hockey championships

Whitehorse hockey player Dylan Cozens has been chosen to represent Canada at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge next month in B.C.

He's one of 66 16-year-olds picked from teams across the country.

They'll be divided between three Canadian teams playing in the tournament. Teams from the U.S., Russia, Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic are also competing.

 
Martin Lawrie, head coach for the bantam boys Yukon Rivermen, coached Cozens until a few years ago. He says Cozens — once dubbed "The Kid" after a hot streak on the ice — is an inspiration to young Yukon hockey players, and deserves his spot at the Worlds.

"It's exciting. I mean, Dylan's a young man that comes back, he spends his summers here, he spends his Christmases here, he jumps on the ice with the kids that he grew up playing with, and trains with them in the off season," Lawrie said.

Cozens is currently playing for the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League.

He has four goals and three assists in the first eight games of the season.