Santorelli rolls with the punch

By Marc Weber - The Province - December 5, 2007

Monday was a good news, bad news day for Chilliwack Bruins star Mark Santorelli.

The WHL named the talented winger its player of the week after he racked up seven goals and nine points in three games, but that could hardly take the sting out of a Hockey Canada snub.

Santorelli, the league's leading scorer with 54 points in 31 games, was not among the 37 players invited to the December world junior selection camp in Calgary.

"I didn't really have any expectations, but definitely it's disappointing," he said. "Everyone wants to play for their country one day.

"I just went out there and did everything I could and I guess it's their decision. You've just got to shake it off."

Despite his soaring scoring totals, it's not a huge surprise that the Burnaby native wasn't extended an invitation.

Hockey Canada has a penchant for picking players who have been in its system for some time. Santorelli hasn't been on their radar outside of suiting up for Team WHL in the Canada/Russia Challenge last Wednesday, and nobody stood out in a 5-1 loss that night.

Also, the Nashville Predators fourth-rounder last June is perhaps looked on as too one-dimensional for a country that loves to trot out a stable of speedy, gritty forwards who can check as well as put up points.

Six of the 21 forwards invited to the camp are from the WHL, and Prince George Cougar Dana Tyrell is the highest scorer of the bunch with 33 points, good for just 19th in the league.

Still, an invite would have been recognition for a terrific season and WHL career so far -- and count Bruins general manager Darrell May among the disappointed.

"Mark's never been given a lot of opportunity with [Hockey Canada]," said May. "I don't think he's gotten the recognition he deserves."

May called the knock on Santorelli's skating and grittiness "a bit of a bad rap."

"I think Mark's work with the puck on the boards and in the corners speaks to his grit," said May. "He always comes out with the puck. And with his skating, he gets to where he needs to be. He scores goals on the rush, he scores in traffic, and he's made big improvements in those areas since he's come into the league."

If Santorelli's play since slipping to the fourth-round of the draft last year is any indication, this latest disappointment will simply serve as another springboard to success.

"When stuff like this happens, you've got two choices," he said. "You can get all upset about it, or use it as a motivator. That's something I've done in the past and that's what I'll keep doing."