Barrhaven’s Henry Mews To Play For Canada In Hlinka-Gretzky Tournament
Hockey Canada has announced that Ottawa 67’s defencemen Henry Mews and Frankie Marrelli will represent their home nation at the 2023 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in Trencin, Slovakia, and Breclav, Czechia.
Mews, a 17-year-old Barrhaven native, was drafted seventh overall by the Barber Poles in 2022. He went on to appear in 55 games during his rookie season, scoring 12 goals and 19 assists, with 31 points placing him fourth among Ontario Hockey League rookie defencemen. Mews also skated in all 11 postseason games, potting a goal and three assists.
Mews captained Team Canada White at the World U17 Hockey Challenge, recording two goals and six assists, for eight points in six games, en route to earning tournament All-Star honours.
“It’s been a dream of mine,” Mews told TSN 1200 about being named to Team Canada. “You grow up watching this tournament with all the draft eligibles, and it means the world to represent your country.”
The tournament is an important showcase for players who are eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft. It is also an important stepping stone for players to eventually play for Canada at the World Junior Tournament.
“It will be a big tournament and a chance to get your name out there,” Mews told TSN 1200. “I’ll just be playing my game, jump in the rush here and there, play consistent, good defence. I’m not going to focus too much on who’s watching.”
Mews grew up playing in the Nepean Minor Hockey Association and often drew comparisons to another NMHA grad, Brandt Clarke of the Los Angeles Kings. Clarke is an offensive defenceman who won gold for Canada at the 2022-23 World Junior Championships and then put up Bobby Orr-like numbers in the last two months of the OHL season playing out his junior career with the Barrie Colts. Mews, meanwhile, scored 12 goals for the 67s as a 16-year-old defenceman. The only other two 16-year-old defencemen in 67s history to score 10 or more goals were Nick Boynton and Denis Potvin.
“It’s incredible to join those guys and there is such a great history in this organization,” Mews told TSN 1200. “But I couldn’t have done that without great coaches and great teammates. We have a great team here and a great power play, and some of (the goals) were on the power play.”
Mews gave a lot of credit for his success to 67s coach Dave Cameron. The former Ottawa Senators coach built the 67s into one of the best junior hockey teams in the country last year and was named the top coach in the CHL.
“There’s no better person in your first year in the league to show you how things are done,” Mews said. “The best thing I got this year was that I learned how to paly the pro game. He teaches you how to play the pro game at the pro level. Everything we do in Ottawa is the pro way.”
Marrelli, 17, was Ottawa’s 21st overall pick a year ago, and dressed in 50 games during the 2022-23 campaign. The Markham, Ontario native scored four goals and 12 assists, for 16 points, also recording three goals and four assists, for seven points in 11 playoff games.
Mews and Marrelli will be joined by 67’s Athletic Therapist M.P. Neron, who takes on athletic therapy duties for Team Canada.
The tournament takes place from July 31 – August 5, 2023.
Featured Image – Barrhaven’s Henry Mews, a defenceman with the Ottawa 67s of the OHL, will be playing for Team Canada at the upcoming Hlinka-Gretzky Tournament. (Twitter photo/Ottawa 67s)
