WHL Combine Series Kicks off in Kelowna
The Western Hockey League, in partnership with Okanagan Hockey Schools, will be hosting a WHL Combine in Kelowna on Saturday June 7th at the Capital News Centre. Participating in the camp are five 2014 WHL Draft picks, including Kelowna Rockets 2014 first round pick Jonathan Smart.
Micheal Rasmussen (7th overall, Tri-Cities), Griffin Mendel (11th overall, Kootenay) Scott Walford (18th overall, Victoria) and Solomon Siebel (153rd Overall, Swift Current) will also take part.
In addition, Kelowna Rockets Head Coach, Ryan Huska, will participate in the presentation on the WHL Player Experience to give players insights on the benefits of playing in the WHL.
The WHL Combines are designed to assist minor hockey players with their skill development by participating in a new state of the art testing system.
The WHL Combines, which will be held throughout Western Canada and the United States, will consist of a full day of on and off-ice testing, instructional tips, a player development seminar, and a presentation on the WHL player experience. The Camps are open to Bantam and Midget-aged players from the 1997-2001 age groups. All WHL Clubs will have access to the test results for scouting purposes.
“The WHL is fully committed to assisting players in the minor hockey system with their skill development,” said WHL Commissioner Ron Robison. “We believe the WHL Combine Camps will place further emphasis on the importance of developing fundamental skills while allowing our young prospects with the opportunity to compare their progress with other players in the system.”
“The WHL is very excited about group of players participating in the Combine in Kelowna” said WHL Manager, Player Development and Recruitment Kirt Hill. “This is a great opportunity for players to measure themselves up against some of the best WHL Prospects across Western Canada and see where their individual skill levels need to develop through their growth as a player.”
The testing conducted at the WHL Combine Camps will consist of a series of on-ice and off-ice tests that will enable a player to compare their individual results, through the WHL database, with other players from around Western Canada and the Western United States. When a player completes a WHL Combine, they will be given a player specific username and password to check their results and compare themselves to other combine participants. The results will identify the strengths of a player, as well as areas where improvement may be required. All test scores will be sent to WHL clubs for scouting purposes.
WHL Combine Camps are scheduled for the following Western Canada and Western U.S centers:
Saturday June 7th, Kelowna BC
Saturday June 14th, Edmonton AB
Sunday June 22nd, Calgary AB
Saturday July 5th, Vancouver BC
Saturday July 12th, Saskatoon SK
Saturday July 19th, Victoria BC
Thursday July 24th, Dallas TX
Saturday July 26th, Minneapolis MN
Saturday August 9th, Calgary AB
Sunday August 10th, Calgary AB
Sunday August 17th, Winnipeg MB