Canadian skaters in Japan for fourth stop on 2017 ISU Grand Prix circuit

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have five entries, for a total of seven skaters competing at the 2017 NHK Trophy, the fourth event on the 2017 ISU Grand Prix circuit. Canada will have one entry per discipline in ladies, pairs and ice dance, and two entries in the men’s discipline. The event takes place from November 10-12, 2017, in Osaka, Japan.

Canadian bronze medallist Nam Nguyen, 19, Toronto, Ont., will be the first of two Canadian men’s entries. Last year, he came eighth at this event. Nguyen placed seventh at his first ISU Grand Prix assignment this season, the Rostelecom Cup. He is coached by Tracey Wainman and Gregor Filipowski in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Keegan Messing, 25, Girdwood, AK, USA, is the second Canadian men’s entry. This will be his first time competing at this event. Messing placed eighth at his first Grand Prix this season, Skate Canada International. He is coached by Ralph Burghart in Anchorage, AK, USA.

Canadian bronze medallist Alaine Chartrand, 21, Prescott, Ont., is the Canadian entry in ladies. She placed 10^th at this event last year. Chartrand finished in 11^th place at her first Grand Prix this season, Skate Canada International. She is coached by Michelle Leigh and Christy Krall.

Julianne Séguin, 21, Longueuil, Que., and Charlie Bilodeau, 24, Trois-Pistoles, Que., will represent Canada in pairs and will be competing at this event for the first time in their career. This season, they placed fifth at their first Grand Prix, the Rostelecom Cup. Séguin and Bilodeau are coached by Josée Picard in Chambly, Que.

Olympic champions and three-time world champions Tessa Virtue, 28, London, Ont., and Scott Moir, 30, Ilderton, Ont., will be the Canadian entry in ice dance. They are the defending champions at this event and also won the silver medal at this event in 2007. Virtue and Moir won the gold medal at Skate Canada International in their first Grand Prix this season. The seven-time Canadian champions are coached by Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer in Montreal, Que.

Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada High Performance Director, and Cynthia Ullmark of Canmore, Alta., will travel with the team as team leaders. Dr. Albert Schumacher of Tecumseh, Ont., and physiotherapist Meghan Buttle of Toronto, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Leanna Caron of Timmins, Ont., and Sally Rehorick of Vancouver, B.C., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

For results and full entries please visit www.isu.org or the official event website. For photos of Canadian entries, please contact [email protected].

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2017 NHK TROPHY