They have spent most of their young lives auditioning for one team or another. Tonight at 7 p.m. inside Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre comes another such moment.

There’s a great deal on the line for the Western Hockey League all-stars when they meet the Russian Junior Selects — most notably, potential spots on the Canadian team for the 2010 world junior championships.

But for one WHL player, Victoria’s Tyson Barrie of the Kelowna Rockets, the hometown game has even greater meaning.

“It’s nerve wracking,” admitted the Juan de Fuca product.

“I can’t count how many of my family and friends are coming out to watch [tonight’s game].”

Barrie, an offensive defenceman, said he will fight off the nerves by playing within himself.

“I just want to keep it simple and not do too much and keep the turnovers down. We’re all just thrown together for these games [including tomorrow’s follow-up WHL-Russia game in Kelowna] and there’s not much you can do except play your own game and compete hard. But these are all the best players in the league, so that helps tremendously.”

They indeed are the best, fastest and biggest — tomorrow’s stars. While an individual WHL club may have one or two future NHLers, they are all here together tonight in one package in one place. These are the prime-time guys of the future.

The WHL all-stars got in a rushed practice session yesterday at a place Barrie, drafted last year by the Avalanche, knows well.

“I was even nervous before this practice,” said Barrie, after stepping off the ice at Bear Mountain Arena, where he played his youth hockey.

“This brings back a few memories. I spent a lot of time on this ice sheet.”

Captaining the WHL team tonight will be defenceman Colten Teubert of the Regina Pats, a Los Angeles Kings first-round draft pick, who has already seen pro action with the Kings’ ECHL-affiliate Ontario Reign.

“We haven’t had much time together, but there’s a lot of talent on this Team WHL, so it’s about trusting each other and trusting the coaches,” said Teubert.

Although Teubert was a member of last year’s gold-medallist Canadian team at the 2009 world juniors, the White Rock product is taking nothing for granted.

“No spots are set in stone with the Canadian team. All these other guys are also looking to take them,” said Teubert. “You’ve got to be prepared to battle for your spot on Canada. Nobody is going to hand it to you.”

As for taking the next step in the Kings’ system, Teubert said it’s a matter of maturing.

“During my time [last spring] in the ECHL with the Reign, I learned a lot about playing with older guys and what it’s going to take,” he said.

“Another big thing I learned was about keeping the passion. There were some guys on the Reign in their late 20s and they still loved the game and still had the passion to play pro hockey.”

While Teubert is the on-ice captain, the honorary captain of the WHL team for tonight’s fixture is former Victoria Cougars WHL goaltending legend Grant Fuhr.

“I’m just telling the players to enjoy their time in junior because it goes by in a heartbeat,” said Fuhr.

“You leave your hometowns and old school friends but you do it because you love hockey and want to play.”

Phoenix Coyotes goaltending coach Fuhr, a five-time Stanley Cup-champion who backstopped Victoria to the 1980 WHL final and 1981 WHL title, hadn’t seen it yet but said he has heard good reviews of Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre when scouting ECHL games in other cities.

But it’s the old barn on Blanshard that will forever remain in his heart.

“Anybody who ever played in that old building will never forget it,” said Fuhr.

ICE CHIPS: The Russians have been swept in their two-game sets against both the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League all-stars.