It will be another busy summer for Hockey Canada, and it begins with Canada’s national under-17 development camp and Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp on the ice in Calgary.

Here’s how it breaks down: 112 players will hit the ice at U17 camp from July 21-27 before 44 hopefuls will battle for U18 roster spots from July 28-Aug. 1 ahead of the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta.

Take a closer look at Canada’s summer campers…

2 – members of the OHL Cup champion Toronto Jr. Canadiens invited to U17 camp; Michael Bianconi and tournament MVP Dylan Robinson helped the Jr. Canadiens to an undefeated seven-game run and their second Ontario Minor Midget AAA championship.

3 – U18 camp invitees who did not play at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge; Mack Guzda, Grayson Ladd and Connor Zary were not on the ice in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C.

3 – rookies of the year who will attend U18 camp; Dylan Cozens was the top first-year player in the WHL, Alexis Lafrenière took home the QMJHL honour (along with the CHL award) and Alex Newhook was recognized in the BCHL (and the CJHL).

3 – U18 camp invitees who played for Canada at the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship; defencemen Bowen Byram and Matthew Robertson, and forward Alexis Lafrenière wore red and white as under-agers in Russia.

5 – sons of former NHLers invited to U17 camp – Kyle Aucoin (Adrian), Jack Finley (Jeff), Ridly Greig (Mark), Patrick Guay (François) and Jacob Perreault (Yanic).

6 – draft picks of the Saint John Sea Dogs invited to U17 camp (DesRoches, Lawrence, Poirier, Savoie, Stairs, Villeneuve), tops among CHL teams; the Ottawa 67’s and Cataractes de Shawinigan are next, each with five selections on the roster.

7 – members of the Toronto Marlboros invited to U17 camp (Cuylle, Drysdale, Halliday, Moore, Peters, Piercey, Valade), more than any other club team; the Chevaliers de Lévis, Cantonniers de Magog and York Simcoe Express are next with five apiece.

9 – U17 camp invitees who competed at the 2018 TELUS Cup, Canada’s National Midget Championship – Ethan Ernst (Notre Dame Hounds – gold); Charles Beaudoin, Isaac Belliveau, Patrick Guay, Marshall Lessard and William Villeneuve (Cantonniers de Magog – silver); Ronan Seeley and Ridly Greig (Lethbridge Hurricanes – bronze); and Lukas Cormier (Moncton Flyers – fifth place).

50 – Ontario natives invited to U17 camp, more than any other province or territory; it is followed by Quebec (22), Alberta (13), British Columbia (10), Saskatchewan (5), New Brunswick (4), Manitoba (3), Nova Scotia (2) and Prince Edward Island (1).

53 – U17 camp invitees selected in the first round of their respective CHL drafts; the picks are spread fairly evenly across the three leagues – 19 from the Ontario Hockey League, 18 from the Western Hockey League and 16 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The list also includes all three No. 1 picks – Quinton Byfield (OHL), Kaiden Guhle (WHL) and Hendrix Lapierre (QMJHL).

80 – points for Alexis Lafrenière during the 2017-18 season, more than any other U18 camp invitee. Lafrenière scored 42 goals and added 38 assists with the Océanic de Rimouski to finish ninth in QMJHL scoring and second among rookies.

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has invited 111 players to participate in Canada’s national under-17 development camp, set to take place July 21-27 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.

For the duration of the week-long camp, the players – 12 goaltenders, 36 defencemen, and 63 forwards - will be split into six teams for on- and off-ice training, fitness testing, practices, intrasquad games, and classroom sessions.

Brad McEwen, head scout for Hockey Canada, was responsible for all player selections, with assistance from regional scouts Carl Bouchard (Quebec), Barclay Branch (Ontario), Barclay Parneta (West), Darren Sutherland (Atlantic), and Darrell Woodley (Ontario), as well as member representatives.

“The national under-17 development camp provides a unique opportunity for players to learn about what it takes to be part of Team Canada alongside the best young talent in the country,” said Shawn Bullock, Hockey Canada’s senior manager of hockey operations and men’s national teams. “The players are here with the ultimate goal of wearing the Team Canada jersey in international competition, and we are supporting them in that goal by providing the on- and off-ice experiences they need to develop and grow as high-performance athletes.”

Following the development camp, players will continue to be evaluated through the early season before 66 are named to one of three Canadian national teams – Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red, and Team Canada White – who will compete at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge scheduled for Nov. 3-10 in Saint John and Quispamsis, N.B.

This year, all 111 players have been drafted by Canadian Hockey League teams, including 54 from the Ontario Hockey League, 29 from the Western Hockey League, and 28 from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Media accreditation for the Team Canada Summer Showcase taking place at WinSport’s Markin MacPhail Centre that includes Canada’s national under-17 development camp can be requested online. The full camp schedule will be available at a later date at HockeyCanada.ca.

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

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.

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. – Twelve coaches have been selected to lead Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team and Canada’s national men’s under-17 teams throughout development and selection camps, and 2017 events.

Paul McFarland (Richmond Hill, Ont./Kingston, OHL) will return as head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, while Daniel Jacob (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu,Que./Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL) and Brent Kisio (Calgary/Lethbridge, WHL) join McFarland as assistant coaches for the summer selection camp and 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.

On the under-17 side, Dave Struch (Flin Flon, Man./Regina, WHL) will serve as head coach for Team Canada Black, Ryan Oulahen (Newmarket, Ont./Flint, OHL) will head Team Canada White, while Gilles Bouchard (Normandin, Que./Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL) will lead Team Canada Red at Canada’s national under-17 development camp and at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C.

Spencer Carbery (Victoria, B.C./Saginaw, OHL) and Louis Robitaille (Montreal/Victoriaville, QMJHL) will serve as assistants for Team Canada Black, Brett Gibson (Gananoque, Ont./Queens University, OUA) and Eric Landry (Gatineau, Que./Gatineau, QMJHL) will join Oulahan as assistant coaches for Team Canada White, while B.J. Adams (Scarborough, Ont./Erie, OHL) and Luke Pierce (Merritt, B.C./Kootenay, WHL) will join Bouchard on Team Canada Red.

“We are thrilled with the caliber of coaches that have been selected to lead our National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team and under-17 teams,” said Scott Salmond, vice-president of hockey operations and national teams with Hockey Canada. “These coaches have experience across many different levels of the game that will help develop young talent across our country, and we’re looking forward to their leadership as we move into the 2017-18 season.”

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

McFarland served as the head coach for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team in 2016 and was an assistant coach with Team Canada Red at the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He has been the head coach of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs for the past three seasons. Prior to joining the Frontenacs, he was an assistant coach with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals from 2012-14. McFarland played four seasons of junior hockey with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers and Windsor Spitfires from 2002-06, and spent four seasons playing university hockey with Acadia University, serving as captain from 2007-10.

Jacob has served as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada for the past three seasons, and was behind the behind the bench with Team Canada White at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Prior to joining the Armada, he was an assistant coach at McGill University from 2010-14. As a player, he played five seasons of university hockey at McGill from 2000-05.

Kisio has been the head coach of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes for the past two seasons after spending eight seasons as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen from 2007-15. He served as head coach of Team Canada White at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and was also behind the bench as an assistant coach with Team Pacific in 2013. As a player, he spent four seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (2003-07) after playing the 2002-03 season with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers.

Canada’s national men’s under-17 teams

Bouchard has served as head coach of the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies since 2013. As an assistant coach he won a gold-medal with Team Canada White at the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and was also behind the bench with Team Canada Red in 2014. As a player, he spent three seasons in the QMJHL with Shawinigan, Trois-Rivières, Beauport, and Chicoutimi from 1988-91, and also played two seasons with the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières.

Oulahen just completed his first season as head coach of the OHL’s Flint Firebirds after spending five seasons as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Brampton/North Bay Battalion (2007-15). Oulahan also served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2014 and 2015. As a player, he spent four seasons in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins (2005-09) after playing three seasons with the OHL’s Brampton Battalion from 2002-05.

Struch won a silver medal as an assistant coach with Team Canada Black at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He has served as an assistant coach for the WHL’s Regina Pats for the past three seasons, and previously spent seven seasons with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. As a player, Struch spent four seasons with the Blades (1988-92) before a 13-year professional career that included stops in the AHL, IHL, WPHL, UHL, Austria, Italy, England and Germany.

Ryan Jankowski, Hockey Canada's director of player personnel, will lead player selection for upcoming  camps, and camp invites will be announced next month for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp and Canada’s national under-17 development camp.

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. – The coaching staffs for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team and Canada’s national men’s under-17 teams have been selected.

Paul McFarland (Richmond Hill, Ont./Kingston, OHL) will serve as head coach for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, while Mark French (Milton, Ont./Calgary, WHL) and Darren Rumble (Barrie, Ont./Moncton, QMJHL) join McFarland as assistant coaches for the summer selection camp and the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.

On the under-17 side, Paul Boutilier (Sydney, N.S./Saint John, QMJHL) will serve as head coach for Team Canada Black, Brent Kisio (Calgary/Lethbridge, WHL) will head Team Canada White, while Rocky Thompson (Calgary/Windsor, OHL) will lead Team Canada Red at Canada’s national under-17 development camp and at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

Chris Dennis (Toronto/York University, OUA) and David Struch (Flin Flon, Man./Regina, WHL) will serve as assistants for Team Canada Black, Jamie Heward (Regina, Sask./Swift Current, WHL) and Daniel Jacob (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que./Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL) will join Kisio as assistant coaches for Team Canada White, while Mitch Love (Quesnel, B.C./Everett, WHL) and Ryan Marsh (Quesnel, B.C./Edmonton, WHL) will join Thompson on Team Canada Red.

“This is an exciting group of coaches that have been chosen to lead our National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team and under-17 programs as they aim to re-create the success these teams generated last season,” said Scott Salmond, vice-president of hockey operations and national teams with Hockey Canada. “These coaches have found success at many different levels in the game and bring a magnitude of experience to our programs that will help develop the top young talent in our country.”

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

McFarland served as an assistant coach with Team Canada Red at the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, and has been the head coach of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs for the past two seasons. Prior to joining the Frontenacs, he was an assistant coach with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals from 2012-14. McFarland played four seasons of junior hockey with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers and Windsor Spitfires from 2002-06. He also spent four seasons playing university hockey with Acadia University and served as captain from 2007-10.

French has been the head coach of the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen for the past two seasons. Prior to leading the Hitmen, he was head coach the KHL’s Medvescak Zagreb during the 2013-14 season and led the AHL’s Hershey Bears from 2009-13. French spent three seasons as head coach of the CHL’s Wichita Thunder from 2005-08 and also served as head coach for Wilfrid Laurier University (OUA) from 2002-04. He also served as the assistant coach and general manager for the OHL’s North Bay Centennials from 1999-2002.

Rumble returns to Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team after winning a goal medal as an assistant coach at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup. Rumble is in his fourth season as head coach of the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats, having previously served as head coach of the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals and as an assistant coach with the Admirals, the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, the QMJHL’s Lewiston MAINEiacs, and the AHL’s Springfield Falcons. A first-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, Rumble played 193 NHL games with Philadelphia, Ottawa, St. Louis and Tampa Bay during a 16-year professional career.

Canada’s national men’s under-17 teams

Boutilier has served as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs since 2015. Prior to joining the Sea Dogs, he served as head coach for Dalhousie University (AUS) from 2009-13, and was also the head coach at Saint Mary’s University from 1993-97. As a player, Boutilier was twice a member of Canada’s National Junior Team, winning gold in 1982 and bronze in 1983 at the IIHF World Junior Championship. He also played eight seasons in the NHL with Boston, Minnesota, New York, and Winnipeg from 1982-89.

Kisio just completed his first season as head coach of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes after spending eight seasons as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen (2007-15). He was also behind the bench as assistant coach for Team Pacific at the 2013 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. As a player, he spent four seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (2003-07) after playing the 2002-03 season with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers.

Thompson just completed his first season as head coach of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires. He previously served as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers during the 2014-15 season, and was an assistant coach with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons from 2010-14 and WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings from 2007-10. As a player, Thompson played three seasons with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers (1993-96). From 1995-2007, he played in the AHL with Saint John, Louisville, Hershey, San Antonio, Toronto, Edmonton and Peoria, and appeared in 25 NHL games with Calgary and Florida.

Hockey Canada’s National Teams’ Summer Showcase will be held July 26 to Aug. 2 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. Ryan Jankowski, Hockey Canada's director of player personnel, will lead player selection for the camp and camp invites will be announced in the coming weeks for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp and Canada’s national under-17 development camp.

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.