CALGARY, Alta. - Hockey Canada is gearing up for the 2018-19 season, and will be working with three accomplished Canadian Hockey League (CHL) veterans as part of its Program of Excellence (POE) management group.

Martin Mondou (Grand-Mère, Que./Shawinigan, QMJHL) will guide and support the under-17 program, including the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Saint John and Quispamsis, N.B., while Alan Millar (Tottenham, Ont./Moose Jaw, WHL) will advise and support the under-18 program, which includes the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (formerly the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup) making its debut in Canada this year. Steve Staios (Hamilton, Ont./Hamilton, OHL) returns to the POE, making the jump to lead Canada’s National Junior Team following his role with the under-17 program last year.

The management group will work alongside Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.), vice-president of hockey operations and national teams with Hockey Canada, Shawn Bullock (Wainwright, Alta.), the senior manager of hockey operations and men’s national teams, as well as head scout Brad McEwen (Whitewood, Sask.), who oversees operations within the Program of Excellence. Day-to-day operations for the POE management group include assisting in the selection of coaches and players, supporting the coaching staff, as well as providing ongoing input during camps and tournaments throughout the season.

“All three men have had tremendous success with their respective teams, and they will bring that to the Program of Excellence as we prepare for international competition,” said Salmond. “Their skill, leadership and knowledge will lead us this next year as we look to continue to build and excel at all levels of the program.”

Mondou, who has been general manager of the Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) since the 2007-08 season, previously served as director of hockey operations for the Shawinigan Xtreme (Senior AAA), winning back-to-back championships. In his first season with the Cataractes, Mondou won the Trophée Paul-Dumont as QMJHL personality of the year,  guided Shawinigan to its first league final in 36 years the following season, and celebrated a Memorial Cup championship in 2012. Mondou won the Trophée Maurice-Fillion in 2015 as QMJHL general manager of the year, and led the Cataractes to the league final once again in 2016.

Millar was named director of hockey operations for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League in 2010, and was named general manager in 2012. He served as general manager of the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) from 2004 to 2009. Millar served as director of operations for Team Ontario, which captured a gold-medal at the 2004 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He spent 2003-04 with the Toronto St. Michael’s Majors, where he served as director of player personnel. Millar was also general manager and alternate governor of the OHL’s Guelph Storm from 1997 to 2003. During his tenure, he led the team to six straight playoff appearances, including a league championship in 1998. Millar also served as director of hockey operations and alternate governor with the Saint John Flames of the American Hockey League from 1993 to 1997. He was on Hockey Canada’s CHL general managers’ committee from 2005 to 2009 where he assisted in the evaluation of players for Canada’s under-18 and national junior teams, as well as the CHL Canada/Russia Series.  

Staios led and supported the under-17 program last year, with Team Canada Red skating to a silver medal at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, while Team Canada White finished fourth, and Team Canada Black seventh. He was named president of the Hamilton Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League in 2015, and added general manager to his title in 2016. Staios spent three years with the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs, serving in various roles, including manager of player development, advisor of player development and assistant coach. The native of Hamilton, Ont., played 1,001 regular-season games over 18 NHL seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders and Vancouver Canucks before retiring in 2012. Staios also served as director of player personnel with Team Canada at the 2014 IIHF World Championship, and represented Canada four times as a player; he won back-to-back gold medals at the 2003 and 2004 IIHF World Championship, and added a silver medal from worlds in 2008.

Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence Policy Committee, comprised of Hockey Canada board chair, Joe Drago (Sudbury, Ont.), Hockey Canada chief executive officer, Tom Renney (Cranbrook, B.C.), Hockey Canada president and chief operating officer, Scott Smith (Bathurst, N.B.), OHL commissioner and CHL president, David Branch (Bathurst, N.B.), QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau (Trois-Rivières, Que.) and WHL commissioner Ron Robison (Calgary, Alta.), will continue to oversee the program.

For more information on the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, and Twitter.

Nick and Ryan Suzuki hate losing – especially to each other.

The brothers are competitive in everything they do, from video games to ping pong to hockey.

“I think we have always had a good relationship,” says Nick, 21 months older than little brother Ryan. “Ever since we were little, we have been playing road hockey, mini sticks in the basement and we are both pretty competitive. We like to challenge each other and beat each other. We’ve always had that competitive relationship, but I think as we’ve grown older, we are closer and have respect for each other.”

For the Suzukis, Dec. 14 has probably already been circled on their calendars – the first Ontario Hockey League showdown for family bragging rights. That will be the first time Nick and his Owen Sound Attack take on Ryan and the Barrie Colts.

“I don’t know if he is a guy you want to go up against, but it will be pretty exciting playing against him for the first time,” said Ryan. “It will be special having our family there. Hopefully he doesn’t score too much on us.”

Despite their competitive nature, the London, Ont., brothers are each other’s biggest supporters. When Ryan was drafted first overall by Barrie in the OHL Priority Selection in April, Nick – the 14th pick two years ago – was on his way to Sault Ste. Marie for a playoff game, but was excited and proud of his brother.

“It has been pretty special to see him grow up and become a good hockey player,” said Nick. “When I learned he was going to get picked first overall in the OHL I was pretty proud of him. He puts in a lot of work into getting better and I look forward to playing against him.”

The pride went both ways this summer in Chicago as Ryan watched Nick reach a major goal of his, getting drafted 13th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

“It was awesome to see him get one step closer to his dream of playing in the NHL,” said Nick. “Seeing him go up there on stage and realizing that in two years, I could have the same opportunity, it gave me a bit more motivation to keep working hard to make my dreams come true.”

Growing up, Ryan and Nick spent their Christmas holiday watching the IIHF World Junior Championship, all while fantasizing of the day they would hopefully play for Canada in the same tournament.

While Nick is chasing that fantasy this summer, Ryan is starting his own Hockey Canada journey.

Nick wore the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup last August, and earned himself a spot at Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Summer Development Camp, with his sights set on the World Juniors in Buffalo this December.

“Any opportunity you get to represent your country at any level is a big honour,” said Nick. “I think this experience will be great and a lot of fun. I know quite of few of the guys at camp and I am just going to play my best.”

Not to be outdone, Ryan headed to Calgary last week as one of the 111 players invited to Canada’s national under-17 development camp, the first step in the Program of Excellence.

“He told me it was going to be a tough and grueling week, but he said to keep working hard and show the coaches what I can do,” Ryan says of his brother’s U17 advice. “He told me to drink a lot of water and take in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

The brothers share a few similarities in their game, including a knack for scoring goals and amassing points.

Nick was the highest-scoring draft-eligible Canadian in the Canadian Hockey League, posting 45 goals and 96 points with the Attack, good for fifth in the OHL scoring race. Ryan’s season wasn’t too bad either; he put up 59 points in 32 games with the London Jr. Knights (Minor Midget AAA), leading the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario in scoring and winning an Alliance championship.

Despite those parallels, their personalities are different, which helps keep their bond close despite the distance between them during the season.

“We are pretty similar … we see and think the game the same way, but Nick is a pretty funny kid. He is a big character and likes to make people laugh. He is more of a jokester than I am,” says Ryan.

Nick describes his brother as more of a “calm guy that doesn’t get too heated.” As much as Nick tries to pick on Ryan, he doesn’t bite on anything. That means Ryan could soon follow in a few more of his brother’s footsteps – Nick was named the most sportsmanlike player in the OHL and CHL last season.

So as much as Ryan and Nick enjoy facing off against each other and getting those competitive juices flowing, the bond they have will continue to grow as they pursue their hockey dreams.

“Even though we will be in different cities, I don’t think it will be hard to stay in touch,” says Nick. “We will play each other a few times during the season, and during the off-season we will hang out … we are still brothers. We are always going to be brothers.”

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has hired Brad McEwen (Whitewood, Sask.) – most recently a western Canadian amateur scout for the Calgary Flames – as its Program of Excellence head scout.

McEwen, whose hockey background includes scouting, coaching, and management roles for the better part of two decades with the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers and Swift Current Broncos, will lead the player evaluation and selection process for Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence alongside regional scouts Carl Bouchard (Quebec), Barclay Branch (Ontario), Barclay Parneta (West), Kevin Mitchell (Atlantic), and Darrell Woodley (Ontario) at the under-17 level, and with input from coaches and general managers from across the Canadian Hockey League for the under-18 and under-20 levels.

The hiring comes on the heels of the Buffalo Sabres’ announcement that Ryan Jankowski (Calgary, Alta.), Hockey Canada’s director of player personnel, was joining the Club as director of amateur scouting.

“Firstly, on behalf of Hockey Canada, I want to congratulate Ryan and thank him for his leadership and commitment to our teams’ and players’ success since joining our group in 2013,” said Scott Salmond, vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national teams. “We’re all looking forward to working with Brad, who hits the ground running this week with our Ivan Hlinka selection camp and National Junior Team development camp both underway. Brad brings a wealth of hockey experience and familiarity with both our POE program and the players within it. He’s a tremendous addition to our team.”

McEwen, who was awarded the Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy as the 2001-02 WHL executive of the year, will work through a transition with Jankowski to select Canada’s 2017 National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, which will compete at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia, Aug. 7-12.

He then takes over the reins as head scout with an eye to fielding the best in Canadian talent at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C., in November, the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, N.Y., in December, and the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship next spring.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media onFacebook,Twitter, and Twitter.com/HC_Men.

It will be another busy summer for Hockey Canada, with 197 of the top young men’s players in the country earning invites to the National Teams’ Summer Showcase in Calgary, Alta., and Plymouth, Mich.

Here’s how it breaks down: 111 will hit the ice at the Canada’s national under-17 development camp, 44 will battle for roster spots at Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp, and 42 will head south of the border to begin the road to the World Juniors at Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Summer Development Camp.

A closer look at Canada’s summer campers…

1 – U18 camp invitee with previous experience at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup; Joe Veleno became just the second under-ager to make Team Canada in 2016, and would be the first Canadian to ever play twice at the annual summer under-18 tournament.

1 – member of the TELUS Cup champion Cape Breton West Islanders; U17 camp invitee Logan Chisholm tied the gold medal game in the third period before scoring the overtime winner, giving Atlantic Canada its first-ever title at Canada’s National Midget Championship.

2 – sons of 2002 Olympic gold medallist Adam Foote to earn invitations; Cal Foote will be in Plymouth for NJT camp, while younger brother Nolan is a U18 hopeful in Calgary.

3 – members of the OHL Cup champion Mississauga Reps invited to U17 camp; Ryan Dugas, Jamieson Rees and Lucas Rowe helped the Reps become the second Wild Card team to win the Ontario Minor Midget AAA championship.

4 – NJT camp invitees who helped Canada West win gold at the 2015 World Junior A Challenge; Dennis Cholowski, Dante Fabbro and Cale Makar patrolled the blue-line, while Tyson Jost wore the ‘C’ and took home MVP honours.

5 – CHL teams with four draftees invited to U17 camp, more than any other – the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL), Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL), Saginaw Spirit (OHL), Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) and Foreurs de Val-d’Or (QMJHL).

5 – U18 camp invitees who did not play at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge; Gabriel Fortier, Alexis Gravel, Hunter Holmes, Merrick Rippon and Joe Veleno (named to the roster but was injured) were not on the ice in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

6 – NJT camp invitees who have never been a part of the Program of Excellence; Dennis Cholowski, Jonah Gadjovich, Cal Foote, Cale Makar, Matthew Phillips and Conor Timmins did not play at the U17 or U18 levels.

8 – 2017 first-round NHL draft picks invited to NJT camp – Nolan Patrick (PHI 2nd), Cale Makar (COL 4th), Cody Glass (VGK 6th), Owen Tippett (FLA 10th), Gabe Vilardi (LAK 11th), Nick Suzuki (VGK 13th), Cal Foote (TBL 14th), Robert Thomas (STL 20th).

9 – returnees from Canada’s 2017 National Junior Team; Jake Bean, Kale Clague, Dillon Dubé, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Dante Fabbro, Carter Hart, Tyson Jost, Michael McLeod and Taylor Raddysh helped Canada to a silver medal in Montreal and Toronto.

11 – camp invitees who have been a captain for Team Canada. Tyson Jost led Canada West to gold at the 2015 World Junior A Challenge and won bronze at the 2016 IIHF U18 World Championship; Kale Clague (CAN Black), Tanner Kaspick (CAN White) and Nolan Patrick (CAN Red) wore the ‘C’ at the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge; Shane Bowers (CAN Black) and Markus Phillips (CAN Red) followed in 2015; and Benoît-Olivier Groulx (CAN Red), Ty Smith (CAN Black) and Jett Woo (CAN White) led the way in 2016. Phillips also captained Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team in 2016, Brett Howden led the summer U18s in 2015, Smith was the Youth Olympics captain in the same year, and Cale Makar was the on-ice leader for Canada West at the 2016 World Junior A Challenge.

15 – members of the Canadian entry from the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games invited to U18 camp; Luka Burzan, Dennis Busby, Declan Chisholm, Aidan Dudas, Gabriel Fortier, Alexis Gravel, Benoît-Olivier Groulx, Anderson MacDonald, Jared McIsaac, Allan McShane, Ryan Merkley, Connor Roberts, Olivier Rodrigue, Ty Smith and Jett Woo won a silver medal in Lillehammer, Norway.

41 – Ontario natives invited to U17 camp, more than any other province or territory; it is followed by Quebec (20), Alberta (14), British Columbia (11), Saskatchewan (7), Manitoba (5), Nova Scotia (5), Newfoundland & Labrador (3), New Brunswick (1) and the Yukon (1).

131 – points for NJT camp invitee Sam Steel, more than any other player in the Canadian Hockey League. Steel scored 50 goals and added 81 assists to win the WHL scoring title, finishing one point ahead of Regina teammate Adam Brooks.

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada will assemble the nation’s best men’s, women’s, and sledge team prospects for its annual National Teams’ Summer Showcase, a series of development and selection camps that kick off the 2017-18 season.

The first wave of invites have been issued to 197 men’s team hopefuls. Beginning on July 22, 111 players will assemble in Calgary for the national under-17 development camp. As they wind down their on- and off-ice sessions, a group of 44 players – four goaltenders, 16 defencemen, and 24 forwards – will arrive and vie for a spot on Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team during a five-day selection camp. Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will leave Calgary on Aug. 2 following the final roster decisions to compete at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.

Meanwhile, 42 prospects looking to earn an invitation to selection camp in December will make their way to Plymouth, Mich., for Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Summer Development Camp. Among the invitees are four goaltenders, 13 defencemen, and 25 forwards.

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

“For about three-and-a-half weeks in July and August, we get to see all of the players in our program concentrated in two locations, which gives our management team, coaches, and staff a chance to develop, first and foremost, what we feel is our top talent in Canada, and evaluate those players as we look to put together winning teams throughout the upcoming season,” said Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations and national teams. “It’s a great opportunity for these players who are working towards earning a chance to wear the Team Canada jersey, and I want to thank Ryan [Jankowski] and his team for the diligence they’ve put into helping us identify this group of players.”

The schedules for each camp will be revealed in a few weeks; all on-ice activities in Calgary at the under-17 and under-18 camps will be held at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport's Canada Olympic Park, and will be free and open to the public.

Jankowski and his group will continue the evaluation process when the players return to their home clubs, with an eye to fielding the best in Canadian talent at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C., the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, N.Y., in December, and the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship in Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk, Russia, next spring.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Twitter.com/HC_Men. 

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada continues to prepare for the upcoming season with the announcement of its Program of Excellence management group for the 2017-18 season.

Steve Staios (Hamilton, Ont./Hamilton, OHL) will oversee and support the under-17 program, including the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C., while Bruce Hamilton (Saskatoon, Sask./Kelowna, WHL) will support and manage the under-18 program, including the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

In March, it was announced Joël Bouchard (Montreal/Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL) would continue as the lead for Canada’s National Junior Team next season.

The management group will work in conjunction with Scott Salmond, vice-president of hockey operations and national teams with Hockey Canada, director of player personnel Ryan Jankowski, and Shawn Bullock, senior manager of hockey operations and men’s national teams, who oversee operations within the Program of Excellence. The day-to-day operations include assisting in the selection of coaches and players, the support of coaching staff, as well as providing ongoing input during camps and events throughout the year.

“All three men have proven leadership qualities and experience within their respective leagues, as well as on the international stage,” said Salmond. “Their skill, knowledge and dedication to excellence will lead us through the year as we look to continue Canada's tradition of excellence on the ice, and further develop skilled, committed players through our program.”

Staios was named president of the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs in 2015 after three years with the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs. With the Maple Leafs, Staios served in various capacities, including manager of player development, player development advisor, and assistant coach. Staios played 1,001 regular-season games over 18 NHL seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, and Vancouver Canucks before retiring in 2012. Staios served as director of player personnel with Team Canada at the 2014 IIHF World Championship. He also donned the Canadian jersey as a player, winning gold at the 2003 and 2004 worlds, and came home with silver from the 2008 IIHF World Championship.

Hamilton has been a part of the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence since 2013. He was part of Canada’s National Junior Team management group that won IIHF World Junior Championship gold in 2015 in Toronto, and with the management group at the 2014 World Juniors in Malmö, Sweden. Hamilton is the owner, president and general manager of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, and since moving the team from Tacoma to Kelowna, he has won the WHL Championship four times (2003, 2005, 2009, 2015) in addition to winning the Memorial Cup when Kelowna hosted in 2004. Hamilton is serving his second stint as chairman of the Western Hockey League’s board of directors since 2008. He also served from 1998-2004.

Bouchard has been a member of the POE management group since 2013. He has been president and general manager of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada for the past six seasons, and took over as head coach in August 2014 after three seasons as an assistant coach. The Montreal native played 15 professional seasons, including parts of 11 seasons in the National Hockey League with eight teams. As a player, Bouchard made three appearances with Team Canada, winning gold each time.

Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence Policy Committee, comprised of Hockey Canada board chairman Joe Drago (Sudbury, Ont.), Hockey Canada president and chief executive officer Tom Renney, Hockey Canada chief operating officer Scott Smith, OHL commissioner and CHL president David Branch, QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau, and WHL commissioner Ron Robison will continue to oversee the program.

For more information on the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca , or follow along via social media on Facebook, and Twitter.

CALGARY, Alta. – The top 196 players in Canada have been invited to attend men’s camps as part of the National Teams’ Summer Showcase from July 26-Aug. 6.

In its second summer, the National Teams’ Summer Showcase will bring together Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp (44 players) and Canada’s national under-17 development camp (111 players) in Calgary, at the Markin MacPhail Centre from July 26-Aug. 2. Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Summer Development Camp (41 players) will be hosted in Toronto July 30-Aug. 2, and will feature a four-game series against the Finland, Sweden and the United States from Aug. 3-6 in Plymouth, Mich.

Ryan Jankowski, director of player personnel for Hockey Canada, was responsible for all player selections, 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 along with branch representatives, 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 us to showcase the talent we have across the country, and for our coaches and scouts to evaluate the players in our programs,” said Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations and national teams. “These camps are key in selecting our international teams for the 2016-17 season, and we are looking forward to hosting 196 players as they work towards their ultimate goal of wearing the maple leaf.”

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

From July 29-Aug. 2, 44 players – four goaltenders, 16 defencemen, and 24 forwards – will participate in practices and three Red-White intrasquad games.

Of the 44 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 2016 U18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, Aug. 8-12 in Breclav, Czech Republic and Bratislava, Slovakia. Canada has won the summer under-18 tournament 11 times in the last 12 years, including the last eight consecutive years. 

Canada’s national under-17 development camp

From July 26-Aug. 1, 111 players – 12 goaltenders, 36 defenceman and 63 forwards – will participate in practices and games on one of six teams: Black, Blue, Gold, Green, Red, and White.

Following the development camp, players will continue to be evaluated through the early season before 66 are selected to represent Canada on one of three national teams – Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red, and Team Canada White – at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, which is scheduled for Oct. 30-Nov. 5 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

This year, 110 players have been drafted or listed by CHL teams, including 42 from the Ontario Hockey League, 40 from the Western Hockey League and 28 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Summer Development Camp

From July 30-Aug. 6, 41 players – four goaltenders, 14 defencemen and 23 forwards – will participate in practices from July 30-Aug. 2 in Toronto before playing in a series against Finland, Sweden, and the United States at the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich.

Jankowski will continue to monitor these players and other potential candidates during the first few months of the 2016-17 season and at the CHL Canada Russia 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 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship when it returns to Canadian ice Dec. 26, 2016 to Jan. 5, 2017 in Montreal and Toronto.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Twitter.com/HC_Men. 

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada’s national men’s team program has its sights set on next season, extending invitations to 34 goaltenders to its annual Program of Excellence Goaltending Camp – taking place June 9-12 at the Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary.

The camp brings together some of best netminding talent in the nation with top Canadian instructors from across North America, and kicks off the evaluation period for summer development and selection camps at the under-17, under-18, and under-20 levels.

Candidates for inclusion in Canada’s National Junior Team summer development camp include 10 of the top under-20 talent. Meanwhile, eight Canada National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team hopefuls are also set to take part, and 16 contenders in the under-17 group.

“The Program of Excellence Goaltending Camp has allowed us to develop our top talent - both on and off the ice, using world-class goaltending instructors from across North America,” said Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national teams. “The line-up of instructors are able to breakdown each goalie’s game, sharpen their skills and give them every opportunity to develop their talent and grow as a player.”

Overseen by Hockey Canada’s director of player personnel, Ryan Jankowski and goaltending consultant, Fred Brathwaite, the camp includes both on- and off-ice sessions with instruction from: Kory Cooper (Mississauga, OHL), Dan DePalma (Kamloops, WHL), Brad Kirkwood (Hockey Canada), Phil Myre (Saginaw, OHL), Stéphane Proulx (Gatineau, QMJHL) and Paul Schonfelder (Ottawa, OHL).

Also included in the three-day camp are members of Hockey Canada’s goaltending advisory board, who will work with the players and instructors: Dave Alexander (Syracuse, AHL), Brady Robinson (Lehigh Valley, AHL), Dwayne Roloson, (Anaheim, NHL), Mike Valley (Dallas, NHL), Andrew Verner, (Peterborough, OHL), and Rick Wamsley (Hockey Canada).

Wamsley will serve as lead for the U17 goaltenders, with Schonfelder taking on the role for the under-18 group. Other instructors and advisors will rotate through each group accordingly.

For more information on Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media at Facebook, Twitter or Twitter.com/HC_Men. 

Letowski, who wrapped up his NHL career having played a total 616 games as a member of the Phoenix Coyotes, Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Carolina Hurricanes, spent five years coaching the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, and joined the Windsor Spitfires’ coaching staff this summer. He steps into a role recently vacated by Martin Raymond, head coach of the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL, who has stepped aside to focus on the Voltigeurs who have started their season with 10 wins in 14 starts.

“Working with Hockey Canada has been an unbelievable and enriching experience,” said Raymond, who hails from Pierrefonds, Que. “The commitment level required for such a program is demanding. As such, I have decided to withdraw from my position with the National Junior Team this season to spend my time and efforts on my club team, the Drummondville Voltigeurs. I am thankful to Tom Renney, Scott Salmond, and Dave Lowry for understanding my decision. I wish our Junior Team the best of luck in the upcoming World Junior Championship in Finland.”

Raymond was an assistant coach with the National Junior Team when it won gold at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, and won gold as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2014 U18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.

“On behalf of myself, Hockey Canada, and the National Junior Team coaching staff, I want to thank Martin for his contributions to our programs. I understand and completely support his decision,” said Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations and national teams. “I also want to thank Trevor for agreeing to step up into the role and bring his talents to our team. We are all focused on making this a smooth transition for everyone involved, and we’re right down to business as we take these final few months to evaluate this year’s National Junior Team prospects before our final camp in December.”

Letowski’s move to the National Junior Team coaching staff leaves a vacancy within Team Canada Black’s coaching staff for the upcoming World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, which will be filled by Kingston, Ont.’s Jay McKee, associate coach with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL.

McKee, who was a guest coach with the under-18 teams as part of Hockey Canada’s National Teams’ Summer Showcase in August, transitioned from a playing career to coaching in the OHL in 2014 when he accepted an assistant coaching role with the Erie Otters. He will be travelling to Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C., later this month for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, taking place Oct. 30 – Nov. 7.

For more information on the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca, or follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hockeycanada, and www.twitter.com/hc_men.

It’s almost an embarrassment of hockey talent on the ice in Calgary this week.

First-round NHL draft picks? How about 20 of them (and nine more taken in Round 2). First-round CHL draft picks? There’s 111, including nine chosen at No. 1. IIHF World Junior Championship gold medallists? Four.

As far as Hockey Canada is concerned, though, the individual and team accolades are great, but they mean nothing, at least not while 193 of the country’s top players are participating in the National Teams’ Summer Showcase.

The camp, which runs from July 29 to Aug. 6 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park, marks the first time Hockey Canada has brought together its three summer camps – under-17 (110 players), under-18 (43 players) and under-20 (40 players).

“From a player’s perspective, it allows them to sort of measure themselves to each other and to the next generation and see where they stand,” says Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations and national teams. “(And) it’s a little bit of the same for the coaches. They get to share ideas and see what the coaches from the other levels are doing differently.

“For our scouts and even from a fan’s perspective, it allows them to see the top 15- to 19-year-old players in the country all in one place, during the same period of time, which is a truly unique opportunity.”

Organizing hotels, meals and ice time for every age group (there are more than 80 staff, in addition to the 193 players) presents a potential logistical nightmare for Hockey Canada’s high performance staff, but the benefits are just too hard to ignore.

And while each camp has its own purpose – the U17 and U20 camps are strictly development, while the U18 camp decides the team that represents Canada at the U18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in the Czech Republic and Slovakia – the main focus remains the same.

“At the under-17 level, it’s about exposing the players and introducing them to each other and to our concepts,” says Salmond. “At the under-18 level, it becomes more about educating them, so that when they reach the under-20 level it’ll be about executing.”

All in all, it’s about The Canadian Way, born out of Canada’s dominating successes at both the 2014 Olympic Winter Games and 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

It’s about establishing a winning mentality, a strong work ethic and an unprecedented dedication to the game from every player, regardless of who they are and what role they play.

While on-ice performance still matters, as it should, Salmond, director of player personnel Ryan Jankowski and the respective coaching staffs have built off-ice components that help decide a player’s Team Canada future.

To make it simple, there are four pillars that Hockey Canada emphasizes during its national team camps: education, technical preparation, physical preparation and creating an environment for success.

“There is a certain way we want our players to play and a certain way we want them to act as part of our program and that’s all part of their evaluation,” says Salmond. “We want to build a culture, create a level of expectation and cultivate that family atmosphere that is present within championship teams.”

That’s why one of the first messages given to players when they arrive at camp is that it doesn’t matter where they’re from, how many goals they’ve scored, or where they were drafted. When it’s all over, Hockey Canada will select players that will help its teams win, and that are open to accepting their roles, while willingly making sacrifices to become world-class players.

“This camp is the first step,” says Salmond. “It’s the first step towards the 2015-16 season, it’s the first step towards international success, and it’s the first step towards building an even stronger Program of Excellence. It has been a long road, and there have been a lot of changes, but we’re so excited about the path we’re on.”