Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will head to Europe this week for the 2011 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament heavy on international experience thanks to the 19 members of the roster who took part in the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge last winter in Winnipeg, Man.
The list includes 11 members of the gold medal-winning Ontario entry, four players from Team Pacific (bronze medal), three from Quebec (fourth place) and one from Team West (eighth place).
2011 UNDER-17 ALUMNI ON CANADA’S SUMMER UNDER-18 ROSTER
ONTARIO
Daniel Altshuller
Andreas Athanasiou
Mathew Campagna
Brendan Gaunce
Slater Koekkoek
Scott Laughton
Matia Marcantuoni
Sean Monahan
Adam Pelech
Kerby Rychel
Thomas Wilson
PACIFIC
Mathew Dumba
Griffin Reinhart
Morgan Rielly
Hunter Shinkaruk
QUEBEC
Félix Girard
Charles Hudon
Michael Matheson
WEST
Derrick Pouliot
Only three players on the final 22-player roster were not on the ice last December and January in Manitoba, including Jarrod Maidens, who was originally named to Ontario’s roster, but was injured and unable to take part in the tournament.
The players were selected following a four-day selection camp in Calgary that included 42 players – 37 of whom were under-17 alumni. The World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, gives players their first international experience, pitting five Canadian entries (Atlantic, Ontario, Pacific, Quebec, West) against five teams from around the world.
In addition to the U17 alumni on the U18 camp roster, 37 players with World Under-17 Hockey Challenge experience are in Edmonton for Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Summer Development Camp, meaning of the 89 players taking part in Program of Excellence camps this summer, 74 made their POE debuts at the U17 tournament.