QMJHLers take part in Hockey Canada’s 2023 summer meetings
National men’s under-17 program and National Junior Team began preparations for 2023-24 season during three days of virtual meetings
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Hockey Canada is proud to recognize the 111 players that took part in the Program of Excellence summer meetings in preparation for the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Players took part in virtual meetings that covered a variety of topics, including education on the Program of Excellence, Sport Safety presentations, short-term international competition preparation and meetings with the Hockey Canada management group. The discussions will allow participants to continue to evolve as high-performance athletes and utilize the strengths and experience of the Program of Excellence’s leadership.
UNDER 20’s
Forty-five under-20 players were selected by Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), director of player personnel, and Peter Anholt (Naicam, SK/Lethbridge, WHL), the U20 lead for the POE management group, with input from Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of hockey operations, and Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), senior manager of hockey operations.
The list includes three players who won a gold medal on home ice at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in Halifax and Moncton (Beck, Fantilli, Korchinski), and seven who won gold on home ice at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (Barlow, Benson, Gauthier, Ratzlaff, Ritchie, Wood, Yager). It also includes 12 players that were selected in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft last month and a total of 11 currently suiting up in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
The QMJHL players invited to this year’s U20 summer meetings are:
- G | ROUSSEAU, Mathis – Boisbriand, QC / Halifax Mooseheads
- D | FURLONG, Jake – Upper Tantallon, NS / Halifax Mooseheads
- D | LAMOUREUX, Maveric – Hawkesbury, ON / Drummondville Voltigeurs
- D | LUNEAU, Tristan – Victoriaville, QC / Gatineau Olympiques
- D | ROY, Pier-Olivier – Adstock, QC / Victoriaville Tigres
- D | WARREN, Noah – St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC / Victoriaville Tigres
- F | DUMAIS, Jordan – Montreal, QC / Halifax Mooseheads
- F | FAUCHON, Jonathan – Ste-Claire-de-Bellechasse, QC / Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
- F | GAUTHIER, Ethan – Drummondville, QC / Drummondville Voltigeurs
- F | SAVOIE, Samuel – Dieppe, NB / Gatineau Olympiques
- F | VIDICEK, Markus – Montreal, QC / Halifax Mooseheads
UNDER 17’s
Sixty-six under-17 players were selected by Millar, Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB), U17 head scout, and Dave Brown (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON/Erie, OHL), the U17 lead for the Program of Excellence management group, with input from Scott Salmond. Regional scouts Rob Simpson (Ontario), Pierre Cholette (Quebec), Darren Sutherland (Atlantic) and Darrell Woodley (Ontario), as well as Member representatives, also provided input.
All 66 under-17 players have been drafted by Canadian Hockey League (CHL) teams, including 17 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The QMJHL players invited to this year’s U17 summer meetings are:
- G | LACELLE, William – Montreal, QC / Rimouski Océanic
- G | MELOCHE, Samuel – Les Cedres, QC / Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
- D | BLAIS, Justin – Saint-Arcène, QC / Gatineau Olympiques
- D | CONRAD, Owen – Stellarton, NS / Charlottetown Islanders
- D | HUANG, Alex – Rosemère, QC / Chicoutimi Saguenéens
- D | PRUD’HOMME, Jonathan – Salaberry, QC / Chicoutimi Saguenéens
- D | VILLENEUVE, Xavier – Les Cedres, QC / Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
- F | CARRIER, Shawn – Trois-Rivières, QC / Moncton Wildcats
- F | CHANDLER, Cole – Bedford, NS / Shawinigan Cataractes
- F | DESNOYERS, Caleb – Saint-Hyacinthe, QC / Moncton Wildcats
- F | GUITÉ, Émile – Chambly, QC / Chicoutimi Saguenéens
- F | KILFOIL, Liam – Quispamsis, NB / Halifax Mooseheads
- F | LAMPRON, Olivier – Mirabel, QC / Baie-Comeau Drakkar
- F | LECOMPTE, Nathan – Châteauguay, QC / Chicoutimi Saguenéens
- F | MORIN, Zackary – Terrebonne, QC / Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
- F | NOBERT, Mateo – Beaconsfield, QC / Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
- F | VEILLEUX, Philippe – Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, QC / Val-d’Or Foreurs
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Players will continue to be evaluated through the early portion of the 2023-24 season before Canadian rosters are named for the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and the 2024 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden.
