IceDogs Prospect Finn Merrill Named to Team Canada U17 Dev Camp
Published on July 14, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Niagara IceDogs News Release
NIAGARA, ONT - IceDogs Prospect, Finn Merrill, has been invited to participate in Canada's national under-17 development camp, set for July 17-21 in Oakville, Ontario.
Merrill was selected in the Second Round, 32nd overall, by the IceDogs in the 2026 OHL Priority Selection Draft, after spending the 2025-2026 season with the Hill Academy U16 AAA, where he notched 48 goals and 41 assists for 89 points in 59 games.
The roster was selected by the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence (POE) General Manager, Allan Millar, alongside the POE head scout, Byron Bonora and U17 Assistant General Manager, Mike Johnston, with input from Scott Salmond, senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and Benoit Roy, director of hockey operations. Hockey Canada's regional scouts-Pierre Cholette (Québec), Scott Grieve (Ontario), Jared Power (West), Rob Simpson (Ontario) and Darren Sutherland (Atlantic)-and Member representatives assisted with the selection process.
"We are excited to unveil the top Canadian under-17 players who have earned invitations to our development camp this week, and to introduce these young players to Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence," Millar said. "This is a very talented and exciting group that will be surrounded by world-class coaching and support staff, and we look forward to introducing them to our program, setting the expectations for the season and preparing for the U17 World Challenge later this year."
All 80 players have been drafted by Canadian Hockey League (CHL) teams (31 from the Ontario Hockey League, 29 from the Western Hockey League and 20 from the Québec Maritimes Junior Hockey League). The players will be split into four teams for the five-day camp, which includes two days of practice and six games from July 19-21.
Following camp, players will continue to be evaluated through the beginning of the 2026-27 season before the Canada Red and Canada White rosters are named ahead of the 2026 U17 World Challenge, scheduled for Nov. 1-7 in Oakville.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from July 14, 2026
- Kitchener Rangers Sign Defenceman Jiří Gombár to OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement - Kitchener Rangers
- Sawyer Schmidt to Attend USA Hockey's Hlinka Gretzky Cup Selection Camp - Saginaw Spirit
- Lucian Bernat One of Four OHL Players Named to Slovakia's National Junior Team Summer Camp Roster - Owen Sound Attack
- Braden Reilly and Evan Fitzgerald Named to Team Canada U17 National Development Camp - Kitchener Rangers
- 80 CHL-Drafted Players to Attend Hockey Canada U17 Development Camps - OHL
- Where There's a Will, There's a Dog - Niagara IceDogs
- IceDogs Prospect Finn Merrill Named to Team Canada U17 Dev Camp - Niagara IceDogs
- Saginaw's Drew Bate, Kyler Lauder Named to Canada's National Under-17 Development Camp - Saginaw Spirit
- Three Frontenacs Draft Picks Invited to Canada's National Under-17 Development Camp - Kingston Frontenacs
- Kane Cloutier Invited to Hockey Canada U17 Development Camp - Oshawa Generals
- Trio of Attack Draftees Named to Hockey Canada Under-17 Development Camp - Owen Sound Attack
- 31 OHL Prospects Named to Canada's National Under-17 Development Camp - OHL
- Bulldogs Name Evan Mathias Assistant Coach & Director of Analytics - Brantford Bulldogs
- Sawyer Schmidt to Attend USA Hockey's Hlinka Gretzky Cup Selection Camp - Saginaw Spirit
- Spitfires Sign 2026 1st Round Pick Lauchlan Whelan to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement - Windsor Spitfires
- Barrie Colts Sign Maxim Shirochenkov - Barrie Colts
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
