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WHL Kelowna Rockets

Four Rockets Among 64 WHL Players and Prospects Invited to Summer Showcase

June 24, 2015 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kelowna Rockets News Release


Calgary, AB - Hockey Canada announced Tuesday the 194 players invited to attend the National Teams' Summer Showcase from July 29-Aug. 6 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport's Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. Among those invited were 29 current WHL players and 35 WHL prospects.

Kelowna Rockets forwards Nick Merkley and Rourke Chartier were invited to the World Junior development camp, while Dillon Dube was invited to the U-18 selection camp and prospect Jonathan Smart to the national U-17 development camp.

The inaugural National Teams' Summer Showcase marks the first time Hockey Canada has brought together all three of Canada's national men's programs in the same city at the same time. It will include Canada's National Junior Team Sport Chek Summer Development Camp (40 players), Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team selection camp (43 players) and Canada's national under-17 development camp (111 players).

Ryan Jankowski, director of player personnel for Hockey Canada, was responsible for all player selection, with assistance from regional scouts Carl Bouchard (Quebec), Barclay Branch (Ontario), Wade Klippenstein (West), Kevin Mitchell (Atlantic) and Darrell Woodley (Ontario) for the under-17 roster, and with input from coaches and general managers from across the Canadian Hockey League for the under-18 and under-20 rosters.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for these groups to learn from and inspire each other as they all come together in Calgary," said Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada's vice-president of hockey operations and national teams. "We are looking forward to hosting the 194 players as they work towards representing Canada in international competition."

"I would like to congratulate all 194 players selected to attend the Hockey Canada National Teams' Summer Showcase," said Jankowski. "This is a tremendous opportunity for Canada's top talent to show our coaches and scouts how they can help Canada succeed on the international stage."

Canada's National Junior Team Sport Chek Summer Development Camp

From Aug. 1-6, 40 players - three goaltenders, 13 defencemen and 24 forwards - will participate in practices on Aug. 1-2 before playing two games each against the Czech Republic (Aug. 4 and Aug. 6) and Russia (Aug. 3 and Aug. 5) at the Markin MacPhail Centre.

Jankowski will continue to monitor these players and other potential candidates during the first few months of the 2015-16 season and at the CHL SUBWAY Super Series to determine who will be invited to Canada's National Junior Team selection camp in December. In total, 22 players will be selected to represent Canada at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship, Dec. 26, 2015 to Jan. 5, 2016 in Helsinki, Finland.

Tickets to the four Team Canada games are available online. Four-game ticket packages can be purchased for $40 each, and single-game tickets are available for $15.

Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team selection camp

From July 31-Aug. 4, 43 players - four goaltenders, 15 defencemen and 24 forwards - will participate in practices and three Red-White intrasquad games at the Markin MacPhail Centre.

Of the 43 players who have been invited to the selection camp, 22 will be selected for Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team for the 2015 U18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, Aug. 10-15 in Breclav, Czech Republic and Piestany, Slovakia. Canada has won the summer under-18 tournament seven consecutive years and 10 of the last 11.

Canada's national under-17 development camp

From July 29-Aug. 4, 111 players - 12 goaltenders, 36 defenceman and 63 forwards - will participate in practices and a nine-game mini-tournament on one of six teams: Black, Blue, Gold, Green, Red and White.

From the development camp, 66 players will be selected to represent Canada on one of three national teams - Black, Red and White - at the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, which is scheduled for Oct. 30 - Nov. 7 in a yet-to-be-determined host city.

All 111 players have been drafted or listed by CHL teams, including 45 from the Ontario Hockey League, 34 from the Western Hockey League and 32 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

All practices and intrasquad games during the Hockey Canada National Teams' Summer Showcase, except for the four Team Canada exhibition games against the Czech Republic and Russia, will be open to the public.

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