Ten QMJHL players invited to Canada’s National Junior Team development camp

CALGARY, Wednesday, June 25, 2008 – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), announced on Wednesday that 45 of Canada’s top junior-aged players (born in 1989 or later) have been invited to attend Canada’s National Junior Team development camp from July 25-29, 2008 in Ottawa, ON.

The National Junior Team development camp is the first step in a process that Hockey Canada follows to name Canada’s National Junior Team roster in December. Following this July camp, Hockey Canada will continue to monitor and evaluate these players and other eligible players in the CHL, as well as in the junior and college ranks in Canada and the U.S.A. There was no development camp in the summer of 2007, due to Canada’s participation in the Canada-Russia Super Series.

In late November or early December, Hockey Canada will invite a shorter list of players to the National Junior Team selection camp, which will take place in mid-December in Ottawa. During the selection camp in December, the coaching staff will select the 22 players that will represent Canada at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa.

The players invited to the National Junior Team development camp were identified, evaluated and selected by Hockey Canada head scout Al Murray, based on performances on under-17, under-18 and national junior teams at 2007-08 events, with input from the coaches on Canada’s 2007-08 National Junior Team and National Men’s Under-18 Team and a network of coaches and general managers in the Canadian Hockey League.

The development camp roster features 10 returning players that captured gold with Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship: Four (4) defencemen: Drew Doughty (London, ON/ Guelph, OHL), Thomas Hickey (Calgary, AB/ Seattle, WHL), Luke Schenn (Saskatoon, SK/ Kelowna, WHL), P.K. Subban (Rexdale, ON/ Belleville, OHL); Six (6) forwards: Zach Boychuk (Airdrie, AB/ Lethbridge, WHL), Colton Gillies (White Rock, BC/ Saskatoon, WHL), Steven Stamkos (Unionville, ON/ Sarnia, OHL), Brandon Sutter (Red Deer, AB/ Red Deer, WHL), John Tavares (Oakville, ON/ Oshawa, OHL), Kyle Turris (New Westminster, BC/ Wisconsin, WCHA).

<b>National Junior Team development camp roster information</b>

<i>League breakdown</i>

16 players from the Western Hockey League
14 players from the Ontario Hockey League
10 players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
1 player from the Canadian Junior Hockey League
4 players from the U.S. college ranks

<b>Hockey Canada Program of Excellence experience</b>

11 players who were members of Canada’s National Junior Team which won gold at the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship

<b>28 players from Canada’s men’s under-18 program</b>

10 players from the 2006 National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team which won the 2006 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka
Boychuk, Doughty, Ennis, Gillies, Grant, Hickey, Katic, Schenn, Sutter, Turris

11 players from Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team which finished fourth at the 2007 IIHF World Under-18 Championship
Boychuk, Couture, Doughty, Gillies, Grant, Katic, Y. Sauvé, Schenn, Stamkos, Sutter, Turris

9 players from Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team which finished fourth at the 2007 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka
Cuma, Eberle, Hodgson, Kadri, Pietrangelo, Y. Sauvé, Stamkos, Tessier, Teubert

12 players from the 2008 National Men’s Under-18 Team which won the 2008 IIHF World Under-18 Championship
Allen, Cuma, Deschamps, Eberle, Hamonic, Hodgson, Kadri, Myers, Nemisz, M. Sauvé, Teubert, Trivino

38 players that have taken part of Hockey Canada’s Regional Under-17 Program;

23 – 2006 World Under-17 Challenge (Regina, SK)

9 – Team Ontario: Bailey, Couture, Doughty, Katic, Goloubef, Smith, Subban, Tavares, Terry

9 – Team Pacific: Boychuk, Ennis, Gillies, Hickey, Nash, Sexsmith, Sutter, Turris, Tyrell

2 – Team West: Aulie, Schenn
2 – Team Quebec: Marshall, Y. Sauvé
2 – Team Atlantic: Cormier, Grant
16 – 2007 Canada Winter Games
6 – Ontario: Cuma, Hodgson, Kadri, Pietrangelo, Stamkos, Trivino
3 – Quebec: Deschamps, M. Sauvé, Y. Sauvé
2 – Alberta: Eberle, Myers
3 – New Brunswick: Allen, Cormier, Tessier
1 – Manitoba: Hamonic
1 – British Columbia: Teubert
Five players will be taking part in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence for the first time (Jamie Benn, Paul Byron, Chet Pickard, Jared Spurgeon, Dustin Tokarski)

<b>Age breakdown</b>

27 players born in 1989
18 players born in 1990

<b>NHL Draft breakdown</b>

7 – 1st round picks in 2007
18 – NHL draft picks 2007
14 – 1st round picks in 2008
25 – NHL Draft picks 2008
2 – Players eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft

<b>By NHL Team</b>

5 – NY Islanders – Katic, Bailey, Hamonic, Spurgeon, Trivino
3 – Carolina, Los Angeles, Tampa Bay
2 – Buffalo, Calgary, Edmonton, Minnesota, San Jose, St. Louis, Toronto, Vancouver
Anaheim, Boston, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Montreal, Nashville, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh

All 45 players named on Wednesday are products of Canada’s minor hockey system and come from nine of Hockey Canada’s 13 provincial and regional branches:

16 players from Ontario Hockey Federation
8 players from Hockey Alberta
5 players from B.C. Hockey
5 players from Hockey Quebec
4 players from Saskatchewan Hockey Association;
3 players from Hockey New Brunswick
2 players from Hockey Manitoba
1 player from Hockey Nova Scotia
1 player from the Ottawa District Hockey Association

The 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship will take place in Ottawa, ON from December 26, 2008 through January 5, 2008.

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