Saginaw's Pyatt makes Team Canada

Saginaw Spirit forward Tom Pyatt will join Team Canada for the World Junior Championship later this month in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The 18-year-old native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, is one of eight OHL'ers on the roster. Pyatt has 13 goals, 17 assists and is +2 in 29 games with the Spirit this season. The associate captain has previous international experience as part of the silver medal-winning Canadian Under-18 squad at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-18 Hockey Championship in April where Pyatt's teammates named him one of the top three players of the tournament.

Spirit coach-GM Bob Mancini says he's proud of Pyatt's achievement.

"It's just a great honor and a great reward for a player who consistently does the right thing on and off the ice," Mancini said. "In practice and in games, Tom works hard at making himself one of the premier players in the Ontario Hockey League."

Pyatt was the Spirit's second pick, 21st overall, in the 2003 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection and a 2005 pick of the New York Rangers.