The Drumheller Dragons will have representation in Sochi, Russia when Roc Truman and Brady Risk play for the AJHL at the Sirius Junior Club World Cup. 

    Both forwards will have a chance to play on the world stage against junior hockey clubs from around the world, and Brady Risk says hes honoured at the chance. 

“It’s up there for me with committing to (University of) Alaska (Fairbanks) as one of the memories I won’t forget,” Risk said. 

He and Truman are currently at a hockey camp in Camrose getting ready for the tournament, meeting the other guys on the team and getting adjusted. 

The 2019 Sirius Junior Club World Cup will be held at the home of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia from August 23 to 31, but the team will be there on August 19. Off the ice, the players will have a chance to visit some tourist destinations there. 

The annual tournament, which is sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation, brings together players from junior hockey clubs from Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. The only Canadian team to win the trophy was the Sudbury Wolves from the OHL in 2013. 

The tournament will be streamed online and can be followed on the AJHL’s social media.

The hot days of summer have many people turning to the Red Deer River for recreation and to cool off, it is important to remember safety is paramount.
    Drowning Research Prevention Centre has provided some sobering statistics.  It reports 72 per cent of drowning victims are male and 29 per cent happens in rivers. Of the largest contributing factor across most ages and water activities, wearing a life jacket ranked first.
     Fire Chief Bruce Wade says care needs to be taken by those navigating the water.  While the Red Deer River is a relatively tame body of water, flow this year is healthy.
    “Probably the most important thing is common sense, wear a PFD and let someone know where you are leaving from and when you expect to be somewhere so if you are overdue, at least someone can speak up for you,” said Wade.
    He adds navigating water and drinking alcohol don’t mix, neither is being on the river after dark.
    “When it is dark out it is really tough to see. We do have lights on our boat, but it is really tough to navigate the river and the rapids in the dark,” he said.
    He says there were a couple of water-related calls for the department last year but so far, this year they have not had any.
    “Generally when the water has been as low as it has been in the past, we can walk in and walk out,” he said.
    Another issue is the weather. It can change in the blink of an eye.
    “We have had a couple of instances where people have been on the river and a big storm comes up, and they are in rafts and are overdue,” he said.
    One simple tip from the Lifesaving Society is to brush up on your swimming skills.
    “Basic swimming ability is a requirement of any meaningful attempt to eliminate drowning in Canada. Swim to Survive teaches the minimum swim skills needed to survive an unexpected fall into deep water,” it states.