Austin Kofluk, of Zion Grove, has been selected as one of two goaltenders to represent the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Junior Knights at the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament in Quebec City, Canada.
The Quebec International Pee-Wee Tournament, which coincides with the Canadian Winter Festival, showcases the best 11- and 12-year-old hockey players in the world. The 11-day tournament is held Feb. 12-23 at Quebec City's Pepsi Coliseum and features approximately 2,300 youth hockey players. More than 1,000 previous tournament participants have played or are currently playing in the National Hockey League.
During their stay in Quebec, Kofluk will be paired with a teammate and live with a French-speaking, Canadian family. In addition to playing in the tournament, Kofluk and his teammates will have a chance to tour the historic sites of Quebec City and visit the Erabliere le Chemin du Roy to learn about the tapping of Canadian maple trees.
Kofluk, 12, is a sixth-grade student at Valley Elementary School in Conyngham and the son of Shawn and Sheri Kofluk. An honor student, Kofluk has been playing ice hockey since he was 4½ and currently plays for the Junior Knights' AA squad.