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OHL Ontario Hockey League

160 CHL Players Invited to Canada's Program of Excellence Summer Camp

July 16, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL) News Release


TORONTO, ON - The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is pleased to announce that 160 CHL players and prospects have been invited by Hockey Canada to participate in its Program of Excellence summer camps - Canada's National Junior Team Summer Showcase, Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team Selection Camp, and Canada's National Under-17 Development Camp.

"We are thrilled for the opportunity to host summer camps across our Program of Excellence this year and gain valuable insights into the development of our up-and-coming athletes," said senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations Scott Salmond. "The athletes will gain experience in the operations of our program ahead of the 2024 U17 World Challenge, the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and the highly-anticipated 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa."

39 CHL players - four goaltenders, 13 defencemen, and 22 forwards - have been invited to Canada's National Junior Team Summer Showcase, July 28 to Aug. 3 at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario, and south of the border in Plymouth, Michigan. Of the 39 CHL players invited, the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) led the way with 18, followed by the Western Hockey League (WHL) with 16 and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with 5.

The camp roster features 35 CHL players who have been selected in the NHL Draft, including 15 first-round picks: Colby Barlow (Owen Sound Attack / Winnipeg Jets), Cole Beaudoin (Barrie Colts / Utah Hockey Club), Oliver Bonk (London Knights / Philadelphia Flyers), Berkly Catton (Spokane Chiefs / Seattle Kraken), Easton Cowan (London Knights / Toronto Maple Leafs), Sam Dickinson (London Knights / San Jose Sharks), Tij Iginla (Kelowna Rockets / Utah Hockey Club), Cayden Lindstrom (Medicine Hat Tigers / Columbus Blue Jackets), Jett Luchanko (Guelph Storm / Philadelphia Flyers), Tanner Molendyk (Saskatoon Blades / Nashville Predators), Zayne Parekh (Saginaw Spirit / Calgary Flames), Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals / Colorado Avalanche), Beckett Sennecke (Oshawa Generals / Anaheim Ducks), Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw Warriors / Pittsburgh Penguins) and Carter Yakemchuk (Calgary Hitmen / Ottawa Senators).

The player selection process was led by Salmond and the management group, which includes Peter Anholt (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL) and WHL alumnus Brent Seabrook (Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL) with assistance from senior manager of hockey operations Benoit Roy. Head coach Dave Cameron (Ottawa 67's / OHL) and assistant coaches Sylvain Favreau (Drummondville Voltigeurs / QMJHL), Mike Johnston (Portland Winterhawks / WHL) and Chris Lazary (Saginaw Spirit / OHL) were also involved in the process.

As part of Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team selection camp, 41 CHL players - four goaltenders, 12 defencemen, and 25 forwards - have been invited to compete to represent Canada at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scheduled for Aug. 5-10 in Edmonton, Alberta. The selection camp, set for July 27-30 at the WinSport Event Centre in Calgary, will include a pair of Red-Black games on July 29-30. The roster includes five CHL players who won gold at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship: Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats / QMJHL), Reese Hamilton (Calgary Hitmen / WHL), Jack Ivankovic (Brampton Steelheads / OHL), Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL), and Matthew Schaefer (Erie Otters / OHL).

Head scout Byron Bonora led the player selection process with assistance from Salmond. U18 Program of Excellence management group lead Dave Brown (Erie Otters / OHL), head coach Kris Mallette (Kelowna Rockets / WHL), and assistant coaches Gordie Dwyer (Acadie-Bathurst Titan / QMJHL) and Ryan Oulahen (North Bay Battalion / OHL) also provided input. Among the 41 CHL players invited to the U18 camp, the OHL led the way with 17, while the WHL had 13, and the QMJHL has 11 of its players set to attend.

Eighty players - eight goaltenders, 24 defencemen, and 48 forwards - will take the ice at Joshua's Creek Arenas in Oakville, Ontario as part of Canada's national under-17 development camp, set to take place July 18-24. All 80 players have been drafted by CHL teams (39 from the OHL, 23 from the WHL, and 18 from the QMJHL), while 17 represented Canada at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games: Mateo Beites (Sudbury Wolves / OHL), Cameron Chartrand (Saint John Sea Dogs / QMJHL), Callum Croskery (Soo Greyhounds / OHL), Alessandro Di Iorio (Sarnia Sting / OHL), Beckham Edwards (Sarnia Sting / OHL), Colin Ellsworth (Guelph Storm / OHL), Carter Esler (Spokane Chiefs / WHL), Tynan Lawrence (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL), Ryan Lin (Vancouver Giants / WHL), Aiden O'Donnell (Brantford Bulldogs / OHL), Mathis Preston (Spokane Chiefs / WHL), Liam Ruck (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL), Markus Ruck (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL), Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert Raiders / WHL), Adam Valentini (Brampton Steelheads / OHL), Keaton Verhoeff (Victoria Royals / WHL), and Braidy Wassilyn (Niagara IceDogs / OHL).

The player selection process was led by Bonora, with assistance from regional scouts Pierre Cholette (Quebec), Rob Simpson (Ontario), Darren Sutherland (Atlantic), and Darrell Woodley (Ontario), as well as Member representatives. Players will continue to be evaluated through the beginning of the 2024-25 season in preparation for the 2024 U17 World Challenge, scheduled for Nov. 1-9 in Sarnia, Ontario.

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