There is always next year for Joe Hicketts 鈥� literally.
The Victoria Royals defenceman, who completed his rookie 16-year-old season in the Western Hockey League, was one of four under-age players flying home from Sochi, Russia, on Wednesday before the start of the IIHF world Under-18 championship.
Hicketts and the other under-agers played in the two Canadian exhibition games, a 4-1 loss to the U.S. and 5-4 shootout victory over the Czech Republic, but didn鈥檛 make the cut.
Seven WHL players are among the Canadian roster: Goaltender Austin Lotz of Everett, defencemen Madison Bowey of Kelowna, Shea Theodore of Seattle, Dillon Heatherington of Swift Current, Josh Morrissey of Prince Albert and forwards Sam Reinhart of Kootenay and Morgan Klimchuk of Regina.
鈥淚t was a great experience for Joe and will inspire and push him,鈥� said Royals head coach Dave Lowry.
There is another shot at U-18 international play this summer 鈥� the annual Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
That鈥檚 the Canadian squad Lowry really hopes Hicketts makes, either this year or next. This Canadian U-18 team in Sochi consists of players whose WHL, OHL or QMJHL teams failed to make the playoffs or were eliminated in the first two rounds. All players would rather still be playing in the post-season with their club teams. The summer Canadian U-18 team, however, will include all eligible players because it takes place during the leagues鈥� off-season.
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