A trio of BCHL alums are heading to Ottawa National Hockey League all-star festivities that take place Jan. 28-29.
Jamie Benn (Dallas Stars), Colin Greening (Ottawa Senators) and Ryan Johansen (Columbus Blue Jackets) have been recognized as being among the best of the best.
Benn, 22, spent the 2006-07 season with the BCHL's Victoria Grizzlies.
He put up 42 goals and 23 assists in 53 games before being selected in the fifth round of the NHL entry draft by the Stars. The Victoria native went on to play two seasons with the Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets.
Greening, 25, hails from St. Johns, N.L. and played the 2005-06 season with the Nanaimo Clippers, recording 27 goals and 62 points. He went on to four years of NCAA hockey at Cornell University, and was selected in the seventh round of the 2005 NHL entry draft by Ottawa.
Johansen, who at 19 would still have another year of BCHL eligibility, played the 2008-09 season with the Penticton Vees, scoring five goals and 17 points before heading to the WHL's Portland Winter Hawks.
The Port Moody native was selected fourth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2010.
Benn was named to the 21-player pool of NHL veteran forwards while Greening and Johansen were named to the 12-player pool of rookies.