A pair of Jr. A Trappers heading to Team Canada East Camp

Jr. A Trappers Sacha Guimond and Jon Aubertin pose for a photo with Abitibi Eskis Justin Lafleur before Tuesdays game at Memorial Gardens. The NOJHL trio will be heading to the Team Canada East Camp. Photo by Randy Blake.

This is getting to be old hat for Sacha Guimond.

In the latest of a string of accolades for the North Bay Jr. A Trappers defenceman, he has been selected to represent the NOJHL at the Canada East World Junior A main camp for a second straight year.

He'll be joined in Whitby on October 4-5 by Trappers teammate, forward Jonathan Aubertin, and Abitibi Eskimos rearguard Justin Lafleur.

Guimond made the Canada East team last year, but his experience was cut short by injury. The 19-year-old from Ville Marie, Quebec is looking forward to having another shot to play at an international level.

"I'm pretty pumped, I'll be ready," Guimond said of the camp. "I need to play offensive and be smart in my own zone."

Both Guimond and Aubertin are off to fast starts this season, each with seven points in five games.

"Sacha's a really good player, he's really smart, he's always in the right spot, he always talks to me for passes, it's not hard to make plays," said Aubertin.

"Sacha and I are good friends; we lived together last year so we were always together. He's French, I'm French...it's perfect chemistry."

The six-foot-two, 185 pound Guimond is already showing he can dominate play and take over a game on his own against tier-two junior calibre talent. And his quickly emerging on-ice connection with Aubertin has never been more evident than in last Friday's 5-3 Trappers win over visiting Temiscaming.

Down 1-0 after 20 minutes, Guimond tied the game using his long, graceful strides to cut laterally across the slot from right to left, beating two defenders and waiting for the goalie to go down before firing a wrister into the yawning cage. Then, he set up the go-ahead goal with a pinpoint, behind-the-back pass from the left wing to Aubertin on a 3-on-1 rush, leading to a tic-tac-toe gimme for JP Kasczak. They were, irrespective of the level of competition, beautiful hockey plays to witness.

Aubertin was the main catalyst in last night's 7-3 home ice win over Abitibi, scoring once and adding three assists. The 18-year-old from Hearst is keeping an even keel when it comes to his selection.

"It's a big chance for me, a big opportunity to get seen by people who've never seen me before," he said. "I just want to go there and have fun like I always do every night."

At five-foot-10, 175 pounds, Aubertin hopes to show that his game is well-rounded enough to make the team.

"I'm a two-way player, I can put the puck in the net, can make plays. I'm a smart player," he said.

At six-foot-three and 230 pounds, Lafleur is a towering presence on the Abitibi blue line. The Timmins product amassed seven goals, 12 assists and 66 penalty minutes in 47 games in his rookie NOJHL season last year. Lafleur, who doesn't turn 18 until November, seems humbled by the opportunity.

"It meant a lot that all the GM's got a vote in it," Lafleur said. "I'm nervous but excited to go," he added.

Lafleur says he's never been scouted and hopes to leave a specific impression at the camp.

"Just that I'm a good, hard defensive player, not like a power-play specialist, that's not my thing. Just working hard and doing the best I can."

Guimond, meanwhile, has some advice for first-time camp attendees -- specifically Aubertin.

"Don't try to do too much and play (your) game," said Guimond. "I'm pretty happy first for him because he's a really good player."

Canada East head coach Todd Gill, his coaching staff and GM Troy Ryan will use the camp in Whitby and a junior showcase in Aurora to help determine the players that will compete in the World Junior A Challenge slated for November 8-14 in Penticton, B.C.