FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / TUESDAY, AUGUST 2nd, 2011FIVE WHL PLAYERS NAMED TO CANADA’S SUMMER U18 TEAM
CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League and Western Hockey League, announced Tuesday the 22 players who will play for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2011 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament, August 8-13 in Breclav, Czech Republic and Piestany, Slovakia.
Among the 22 players named, five are members of Clubs in the Western Hockey League including the Moose Jaw Warriors’ Morgan Rielly, the Edmonton Oil Kings’ Griffin Reinhart, the Red Deer Rebels’ Mathew Dumba, the Portland Winterhawks’’ Derrick Pouliot and the Medicine Hat Tigers’ Hunter Shinkaruk.
The roster was finalized Tuesday following Hockey Canada’s four-day selection camp at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena in Calgary. The camp included daily practices and three Red-White intersquad games.
Canada’s roster is made up of 13 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders. Head coach Steve Spott (Waterloo, Ont./Kitchener, OHL), assembled the roster with support from assistant coaches Mario Duhamel (St-Bruno, Que./Drummondville, QMJHL) and Don Nachbaur (Kitimat, B.C./Spokane, WHL), Kevin Prendergast, Hockey Canada’s head scout for the men’s Program of Excellence, and Brad Pascall, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations/national teams.
“It was a very competitive camp, and choosing these 22 players was by no means an easy task,” said Spott. “All of the players named today have earned their spot on the roster, and we look forward to getting to Europe and continuing Canada’s great tradition at this event.”
Canada has won the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament three straight years, and has won 15 of 20 summer under-18 tournaments since 1991. It will play in Group A in Breclav with the Czech Republic, Sweden and Switzerland. Group B, which consists of Finland, Russia, Slovakia and the United States, will play out of Piestany.
Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team breakdown
Two goaltenders, seven defencemen, 13 forwards
20 players from the Canadian Hockey League
12 players from the Ontario Hockey League
Five players from the Western Hockey League
Three players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
One player from the Central Canadian Hockey League
One player from the Ligue de hockey midget AAA du Québec
20 players with experience in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence
Canada will face Slovakia in a pre-tournament game in Piestany on Saturday, August 6 before opening the tournament against Sweden on Monday, August 8. The top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals on Friday, August 13, with the gold medal game scheduled for Saturday, August 14.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SCHEDULE OF THE 2011 MEMORIAL OF IVAN HLINKA TOURNAMENT
There will be no TV or radio coverage of the event. Hockey Canada’s official website, www.hockeycanada.ca, is the place to find complete coverage of Canada at the tournament.
For more information on Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca.
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