Chilliwack native Ryan Bowen is going where few local minor hockey products have gone before.
The teenager is one of 16 forwards short-listed by Hockey BC for a potential roster spot on Team BC.
If successful, Bowen would represent this province at the 2013 Western Canada U-16 Challenge Cup, taking place Oct. 30 to Nov. 4 at the Father David Bauer Arena in Calgary, AB.
Team BC captured gold last year with a decisive 9-3 victory over Team Alberta. Team BC finished the round-robin play with a perfect 3-0 record before advancing to the championship game.
With lofty standards, Bowen be under the microscope in the interim. He and his peers will be evaluated by the Team BC coaching staff over the course of the hockey season, with the final roster being announced in October.
Bowen spent last season with the Okanagan Hockey Academy’s top-level midget prep team.
He’s been invited to training camp with the BCHL Chilliwack Chiefs in three weeks, and will head to rookie camp with the Western Hockey League’s Moose Jaw Warriors soon after.
Bowen was picked 94th overall by the Warriors in last spring’s WHL bantam draft.