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Glenn Gawdin (Photo by Darwin Knelsen)

As the Swift Current Broncos return from the holiday break Friday night at home against Moose Jaw, they will be without a couple of key members of the team.

Forward Glenn Gawdin and trainer Jamie LeBlanc have left the Broncos to participate in the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge.  The tournament starts on Sunday.

"It's a great honour representing pacific Canada," he said. "Can't wait to go to that tournament."

He attended a summer camp for Team Pacific and felt he made a good impression.

"I thought I had a good camp but then again that camp doesn't mean too much," Gawdin noted. "They evaluate you during the season and I guess whatever I've done during the season has helped me make that team."

The Broncos selected Gawdin 5th overall in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft. He has 15 points in 38 games so far in his rookie season and has had the chance at different points in the season to play with some of the top veterans on the team like Colby Cave and Coda Gordon.

"A learning experience playing with those guys," he said. "They make everything a lot easier. I kind of just try and keep up."

He has other tournament experience having played for Team BC in the Under 16 Western Canadian Challenge Cup. Every step in the process is part of the evaluation for guys who could eventually play for the World U20 team.

"Leading up to World Juniors and so forth you want to make a name for yourself," Gawdin added. "Prove to them you could play in those Under-18 or World Juniors."

Broncos prospects Jackson Keane and Wyatt Sloboshan are playing for Team West at the event starting Sunday. Keane has 25 points in 32 games for the Winnipeg Blues in the MJHL. Sloboshan has 54 points in 30 games for the Okanagan Hockey Academy Midget Prep team.

Defenseman Julius Honka is also out of the lineup as he represents Finland at the World Juniors. The Finns opened the tournament with a 5-1 win over Norway on Friday.

You can hear the action between the Broncos and Warriors on The Eagle 94.1 starting with our pre-game show at 6:30pm. Swift Current is in Moose Jaw tomorrow.