Jason La Rose
It will be another busy summer for Hockey Canada, and it begins with Canada’s national under-17 development camp and Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp on the ice in Calgary.
Here’s how it breaks down: 112 players will hit the ice at U17 camp from July 21-27 before 44 hopefuls will battle for U18 roster spots from July 28-Aug. 1 ahead of the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta.
Take a closer look at Canada’s summer campers…
2 – members of the OHL Cup champion Toronto Jr. Canadiens invited to U17 camp; Michael Bianconi and tournament MVP Dylan Robinson helped the Jr. Canadiens to an undefeated seven-game run and their second Ontario Minor Midget AAA championship.
3 – U18 camp invitees who did not play at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge; Mack Guzda, Grayson Ladd and Connor Zary were not on the ice in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C.
3 – rookies of the year who will attend U18 camp; Dylan Cozens was the top first-year player in the WHL, Alexis Lafrenière took home the QMJHL honour (along with the CHL award) and Alex Newhook was recognized in the BCHL (and the CJHL).
3 – U18 camp invitees who played for Canada at the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship; defencemen Bowen Byram and Matthew Robertson, and forward Alexis Lafrenière wore red and white as under-agers in Russia.
5 – sons of former NHLers invited to U17 camp – Kyle Aucoin (Adrian), Jack Finley (Jeff), Ridly Greig (Mark), Patrick Guay (François) and Jacob Perreault (Yanic).
6 – draft picks of the Saint John Sea Dogs invited to U17 camp (DesRoches, Lawrence, Poirier, Savoie, Stairs, Villeneuve), tops among CHL teams; the Ottawa 67’s and Cataractes de Shawinigan are next, each with five selections on the roster.
7 – members of the Toronto Marlboros invited to U17 camp (Cuylle, Drysdale, Halliday, Moore, Peters, Piercey, Valade), more than any other club team; the Chevaliers de Lévis, Cantonniers de Magog and York Simcoe Express are next with five apiece.
9 – U17 camp invitees who competed at the 2018 TELUS Cup, Canada’s National Midget Championship – Ethan Ernst (Notre Dame Hounds – gold); Charles Beaudoin, Isaac Belliveau, Patrick Guay, Marshall Lessard and William Villeneuve (Cantonniers de Magog – silver); Ronan Seeley and Ridly Greig (Lethbridge Hurricanes – bronze); and Lukas Cormier (Moncton Flyers – fifth place).
50 – Ontario natives invited to U17 camp, more than any other province or territory; it is followed by Quebec (22), Alberta (13), British Columbia (10), Saskatchewan (5), New Brunswick (4), Manitoba (3), Nova Scotia (2) and Prince Edward Island (1).
53 – U17 camp invitees selected in the first round of their respective CHL drafts; the picks are spread fairly evenly across the three leagues – 19 from the Ontario Hockey League, 18 from the Western Hockey League and 16 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The list also includes all three No. 1 picks – Quinton Byfield (OHL), Kaiden Guhle (WHL) and Hendrix Lapierre (QMJHL).
80 – points for Alexis Lafrenière during the 2017-18 season, more than any other U18 camp invitee. Lafrenière scored 42 goals and added 38 assists with the Océanic de Rimouski to finish ninth in QMJHL scoring and second among rookies.