WHL Now Inviting Applications for 2020 WHL U.S. Development Combines
Published on December 19, 2019 under Western Hockey League (WHL) News Release
Calgary, Alta. - The Western Hockey League announced today it will conduct two WHL U.S. Development Combines in Southwestern United States this spring.
This year's WHL U.S. Development Combines will be held in Los Angeles (Irvine), California from April 17-19 and Las Vegas, Nevada April 24-26, 2020. The WHL is now accepting applications to participate in the U.S. Development Combines for players in the 2004-2009 age categories.
"The WHL U.S. Development Combines in Los Angeles and Las Vegas will provide aspiring young hockey players an opportunity to further develop their skills while gaining exposure to the Western Hockey League" said WHL Commissioner Ron Robison. "We look forward to the opportunity to evaluate many top U.S. prospects while educating them on the benefit of playing in the WHL."
This is a unique opportunity for 2004-2009 born U.S. hockey players to gain WHL information and exposure by participating in on and off ice WHL Combine testing, fitness and nutrition sessions, mental training, player development and scrimmages with other top-ranked players.
The Western Hockey League has been the premier development league for players age 16 to 20 in Western Canada and the U.S. for more than 50 years. The WHL is a leading supplier of player talent to the National Hockey League as well as a leading provider of post-secondary education through the WHL Scholarship Program. The WHL U.S. Development Combines will serve as the first opportunity for exposure to WHL Clubs for aspiring WHL U.S. prospects.
Testing results from the WHL U.S. Development Combines will be entered into the WHL database and will be shared with all WHL General Managers and Head Scouts. Participants will also be given individual account access where they can view their own results including event comparisons, progress reports of all historical WHL Combine participation, and receive access to the WHL Database to filter results by age and compare scores to more than 12,000 players tested across Western Canada and the western United States.
"The Los Angeles and Las Vegas Development Combines will give the US based players the opportunity to compare themselves against some of the top players in North America and utilize the information to better plan out their development path to achieve success in the game," said Okanagan Hockey Group President Andy Oakes.
The WHL U.S. Development Combines are two and a half-day events starting on Friday afternoon and concluding on Sunday. U.S. Development Combines consist of:
WHL Combine On-Ice Testing
WHL Combine Off-Ice Testing
WHL On-Ice Skills Development
WHL Off-Ice Development Session
WHL Information Session (With Parent/Player Q&A)
End of Session Scrimmage/Game
WHL Combine Souvenir Jersey
Throughout the course of the weekend, players and their families will learn about the benefits of playing Major Junior hockey - the highest level in the Canadian system. Athlete testing will be completed by the WHL Combines, a working partnership between the WHL & Okanagan Hockey Group, utilizing the global leading SportTesting Inc. technology platform. The WHL U.S. Development Combines will contain multiple participant groups, strategically separated by the WHL, based on date of birth.
ELIGIBILITY
The WHL U.S. Development Combines is open to U.S. Residents born in 2004-2009, playing high-level competitive hockey, and currently living in the western United States (all western U.S. States including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming are within the protected territory designated by the Canadian Hockey League to the WHL).
*Attending this camp does not affect a player's NCAA eligibility, nor does speaking with WHL Office or Club staff.
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