CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), announced Monday that 41 of Canada’s top junior-aged players (born in 1992 or later) have been invited to take part in Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection Camp, Dec. 10-14, 2011 at the WinSport Canada Athletic & Ice Complex in Calgary.

Included among the 41 players invited are four Niagara IceDogs, Dougie and Freddie Hamilton, Ryan Strome and Mark Visentin.

Visentin (Waterdown, Ont./Niagara, OHL) is one of only three returning players invited to the selection camp– along with Quinton Howden (Oak Bank, Man./Moose Jaw, WHL) and Jaden Schwartz (Wilcox, Sask./Colorado College, CCHA).  The trio helped Canada earn the silver medal at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, N.Y.

In addition, thirty-six of the players named to the selection camp roster were drafted in either the 2009 or 2010 NHL Entry Drafts, including fourteen first-round selections and nine second-round picks.  Dougie Hamilton, Strome and Visentin are among those fourteen first-round selections, with Visentin having been selected by Phoenix in the first round in 2009, followed by Strome to the Islanders and Hamilton to the Bruins in this year’s first round.

Hockey Canada can still add additional players prior to the opening of the selection camp on Dec. 10, in the event that NHL teams loan Canada’s National Junior Team junior-aged eligible players currently playing in the NHL.

“On behalf of Hockey Canada, we want to congratulate the players named to the camp roster today, along with their club teams, parents and minor hockey coaches that have helped them reach this level,” said Brad Pascall, Hockey Canada’s vice president of hockey operations/national teams. “As well, we would like to thank the Canadian Hockey League for its partnership and support of the Program of Excellence.”

“Thanks to Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, many of these players have already received the experience necessary to deal with high-paced international competition such as the World Juniors,” said Kevin Prendergast, Hockey Canada’s head scout of the men’s Program of Excellence. “The quality and skill of the 41 players invited to camp next week is a testament to the hard work, commitment and development of all those involved in the Canadian minor hockey and junior hockey systems.”

Prendergast travelled coast to coast during the early months of the 2011-12 season, assessing players in preparation for the selection camp.

“On behalf of the Canadian Hockey League, I would like to congratulate all players who have been named to the selection camp roster,” said David Branch, president of the CHL. “This is a tremendous honour, and all have worked extremely hard to get to where they are today.”

SELECTION CAMP INFORMATION

There will be two Red-White intrasquad games (Dec. 11-12) and one game against a team of all-stars from Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). The CIS team will be comprised of players from the University of Calgary and University of Lethbridge. Tickets for all three games can be purchased at Calgary Sport Chek locations or online at www.HockeyCanada.ca. Practices will be open to the public.

Media will require accreditation for games and to access the interview area after practices. Please send your media accreditation requests for Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection Camp to abrin@hockeycanada.ca.

Once the final roster is named at the conclusion of the selection camp on Dec. 14, Canada’s National Junior Team will play in three pre-competition games in Alberta prior to the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship, Dec. 26, 2011 to Jan. 5, 2012 in Calgary and Edmonton.

Canada will play its first game of the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship on Boxing Day, Dec. 26 against Finland, a game that will be broadcast LIVE by TSN/RDS and on The FAN Radio Network (check local listings). While the event is officially sold out, tickets are available through a ticket exchange program at www.HockeyCanada.ca/2012juniors. 

Canada has medalled at thirteen consecutive IIHF World Junior Championships, including gold medal performances in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, silver medals in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010 and 2011 and bronze medals in 2000 and 2001.

For more information on the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship, please visit www.HockeyCanada.ca/2012juniors, or follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/worldjuniors and www.twitter.com/hc_wjc.

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