CALGARY – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, announced on Wednesday the 22 players who will make up Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2007 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka, which will be held in the Czech Republic and Slovakia from August 14-18.
The players were selected by the coaching staff and Al Murray, Hockey Canada’s head scout. Team Canada’s coaching staff is made up of head coach Dave Barr (Edmonton, AB/Guelph, OHL) and his assistants, Jacques Beaulieu (Longlac, ON/Saint John, QMJHL) and Guy Boucher (West Island, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL). The 22 players, born in 1990 or later, were selected out of the 40 who competed at the National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp, which ran August 4-8 in Calgary.
Steven Stamkos (Unionville, ON/Sarnia, OHL) has been named captain of the team. The assistants will be Alex Pietrangelo (King City, ON/Mississauga, OHL), Yann Sauvé (Rigaud, QC/Saint John, QMJHL) and Kelsey Tessier (Fredericton, NB/Quebec, QMJHL).
Team Canada breakdown
2 goaltenders, 7 defencemen, 13 forwards
8 players from the Ontario Hockey League
7 players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
6 players from the Western Hockey League
Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will complete in the 2007 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka, a tournament which Canada has claimed three straight years. Canada is in Group A, along with the Czech Republic, Sweden and Switzerland. All of Canada’s round-robin games will be played in Hodonin, Czech Republic. Group B consists of Finland, Russia, Slovakia and U.S.A. Teams in Group B will play round-robin games in Piestany, Slovakia.
SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 9th
9-10:30 a.m.: Practice at Father David Bauer Arena in Calgary, AB
2-3:30 p.m.: Practice at Father David Bauer Arena (subject to change)
6:00 p.m.: Group check-in at Calgary International Airport (approximate)
8:35 p.m.: British Air Flight 102 to London Heathrow Airport
Team Canada will face Team Slovakia in exhibition action in Piestany, Slovakia on August 12th at 7 p.m. local (1 p.m. ET). Canada will begin defence of its title on August 14th against Team Sweden in Hodonin, Czech Republic at 3:30 p.m. local (9:30 a.m. ET). Canada has won 10 of the past 11 summer under-18 tournaments.
The media contact for the National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team is Chris Jurewicz. He can be reached at (403) 880-5819 or HYPERLINK "mailto:cjurewicz@hockeycanada.ca" cjurewicz@hockeycanada.ca. Please note that there will not be any television or radio coverage of this tournament. Results will be available at HYPERLINK "http://www.hockeycanada.ca" www.hockeycanada.ca.