Latest news with #ProgramofExcellence
Ottawa Citizen
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Several Spitfires will get an early start to the season
Several Windsor Spitfires will get an early start to the season. Article content That's a positive with Hockey Canada tapping four members of the Spitfires to attend program of excellence summer camps and two more players tagged by USA Hockey to compete for national programs. Article content Windsor forwards Ethan Belchetz and J.C. Lemieux along with defenceman Carter Hicks are among 40 players competing for an under-18 roster spot for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which is set for Aug. 11-16 in Czechia and Slovakia. Article content Players will attend a selection camp in Oakville from July 29 to Aug. 1. Article content Article content 'Our under-18 selection camp provides us with an opportunity to evaluate players and select a roster that will believe will give us the best chance to defend our gold medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup,' Alan Miler, who is Canada's general manager of the Program of Excellence, said in a release. Article content The first overall pick in the 2024 OHL Draft, the six-foot-five, 227-pound Belchetz had 17 goals and 38 points in 56 games as a rookie last season. The six-foot, 176-pound Lemieux scored nine goals and totalled 19 points in 46 games while Hicks finished with three goals and 14 points in 52 games and was a plus 14. Both were second-round picks by Windsor in 2024. Article content A year ago, the Spitfires' Jack Nesbitt helped Canada defends its title at the event. Article content Meanwhile, a fourth member of the Spitfires will also eye a roster spot at the tournament. Forward Caden Harvey, who was a fifth-round pick by the Spitfires in this year's OHL Draft, was among 38 players invited to the United States camp, which will be held in Plymouth, Mich. from July 28 to Aug. 3. The six-foot-one, 180-pound Harvey played for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U16 program last year and signed with Windsor in June. Article content Article content Spitfires' first-round pick Johnny McLaughlin is among 79 players headed to Oakville for Hockey Canada's under-17 development camp, which will run from July 19-23. Article content 'Our under-17 camp is an opportunity to introduce athletes to the Program of Excellence and allow them to compete against top players in Canada while we begin evaluating and preparing for the U17 World Challenge this fall,' Millar said. Article content The World U17 Hockey Challenge is scheduled for Oct. 31 to Nov. 3. Players will continue to be evaluated through the start of the season before rosters are set. Spitfires' equipment manager J.R. Grant has already been selected to work the event. Article content Along with McLaughlin, Tecumseh's Jaakko Wycisk, who was the second overall pick in this year's OHL Draft by the Guelph Storm, will also head to the camp along with Tecumseh's Noah Laus, who was a first-round pick by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, and Belle River's Edgar, who was a second-round pick by the Barrie Colts.
Ottawa Citizen
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Several North Bay Battalion players are going 'camping' this summer
Article content Article content Article content A total of four North Bay Battalion members or prospects have been named to Canada's national summer under-18 and under-17 camps, Hockey Canada announced Thursday. Forward Parker Vaughan of the Ontario Hockey League club is one of 40 hopefuls, numbering 24 forwards, 12 defencemen and four goaltenders, invited to compete for a chance to represent Canada at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scheduled Aug. 11-16 at Brno, Czechia, and Trencin, Slovakia. Article content Article content Article content The Canadian selection camp, with 20 OHLers on the ice, is to run July 29 to Aug. 1 at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ont. In addition, Battalion forward Cam Warren, defenceman Carter Kunopaski and goaltending prospect Cole Vreugdenhil are among 30 OHLers who have been chosen to attend a national under-17 development camp at the Oakville site. It starts Saturday and ends next Wednesday. Article content Article content Article content All 79 invitees have been drafted by Canadian Hockey League teams, including 27 from the Western Hockey League and 22 from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. They will continue to be evaluated early in the 2025-26 season before the U17 World Challenge, to be held Oct. 31 to Nov. 8 at Truro, N.S. The Battalion's Andrew Latin is one of two guest equipment managers named to the team, which is to have Scott Barney of the Sudbury Wolves as head coach. 'We are excited to kick off a new season by announcing the 119 players that will attend camps in Oakville this month,' Alan Millar, general manager of Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence, said in a release issued in Calgary. Article content 'Our under-18 selection camp provides us with an opportunity to evaluate players and select a roster that we believe will give us the best chance to defend our gold medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Our under-17 camp is an opportunity to introduce athletes to the Program of Excellence and allow them to compete against other top players in Canada while we begin evaluating and preparing for the U17 World Challenge this fall.' Article content Article content The Battalion acquired Vaughan in a Jan. 5 trade with the Barrie Colts, who made him the fifth overall pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. In 32 games with North Bay, he scored five goals and added five assists for 10 points, giving him league totals of 64 games, nine goals, eight assists and 17 points. Article content Article content Warren and Kunopaski, the Troops' first- and second-round selections respectively at Nos. 6 and 29 overall, have signed education and development agreements with the club. Vreugdenhil, one of three OHL goaltenders invited to the U17 camp, was a fifth-rounder, 87th overall.
Edmonton Journal
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Brent Seabrook offers young Calgary Flames blueliners an invaluable resource
Mace'o Phillips could barely contain his excitement. Article content The young Calgary Flames prospect grew up watching Brent Seabrook back when the longtime Chicago Blackhawks blueliner was one of the NHL's top defencemen. Article content So seeing him at Flames development camp last week was a real 'Welcome to the NHL' moment, especially as it came just a few short days after Phillips had been selected in the third round, 80th overall, of the 2025 NHL Draft. Article content Article content 'I go up to him and go 'What's up Seebs?' and he goes 'What's up big fella?'' Philips said with a big smile. 'It was so cool just to see him, with the history he had in the NHL and just kind of learning from him and getting tips on picking up pucks off walls.' Article content Article content The 40-year-old was added to the organization's player development staff at the end of June. Since retiring in 2021, Seabrook had been working with the WHL's Vancouver Giants, first as an assistant coach and then as a development coach. He was also part of Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence management group for the under-20 team. Article content That will all help, but make no mistake, Seabrook's wealth of experience as a top-pairing NHL defenceman is a big part of the appeal for a Flames team that has a couple high-end blueline prospects — most notably Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, Etienne Morin and Phillips — coming up. Article content Article content 'When you speak to him, he thinks it differently, you know?' Flames GM Craig Conroy said. 'I'm a forward, I played centre, so I think the game one way. But when you hear him talking about stick position, feet position, how you defend your gaps, I'm like 'Really, all that?' Article content 'And he's so passionate about it. He wants to help the young guys. He wants to help the Calgary Flames get better. Like he said to me, 'I've been fortunate to win Stanley Cups. I'd love to win one with the Calgary Flames, too.' He's really excited and ready to go.' Article content Experience alone should make Seabrook a valuable part of the Flames development team. We're talking about a guy who played in 1,114 NHL games, won three Stanley Cups and an Olympic gold medal.
Calgary Herald
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Brent Seabrook offers young Calgary Flames blueliners an invaluable resource
Mace'o Phillips could barely contain his excitement. Article content The young Calgary Flames prospect grew up watching Brent Seabrook back when the longtime Chicago Blackhawks blueliner was one of the NHL's top defencemen. Article content Article content So seeing him at Flames development camp last week was a real 'Welcome to the NHL' moment, especially as it came just a few short days after Phillips had been selected in the third round, 80th overall, of the 2025 NHL Draft. Article content Article content 'I go up to him and go 'What's up Seebs?' and he goes 'What's up big fella?'' Philips said with a big smile. 'It was so cool just to see him, with the history he had in the NHL and just kind of learning from him and getting tips on picking up pucks off walls.' Article content Article content There will be many more conversations between Seabrook and the rest of the Flames' prized defensive prospects in the coming years and they'll probably be a lot more in-depth than saying 'What's up?' Article content The 40-year-old was added to the organization's player development staff at the end of June. Article content Since retiring in 2021, Seabrook had been working with the WHL's Vancouver Giants, first as an assistant coach and then as a development coach. He was also part of Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence management group for the under-20 team. Article content That will all help, but make no mistake, Seabrook's wealth of experience as a top-pairing NHL defenceman is a big part of the appeal for a Flames team that has a couple high-end blueline prospects — most notably Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, Etienne Morin and Phillips — coming up. Article content Article content 'When you speak to him, he thinks it differently, you know?' Flames GM Craig Conroy said. 'I'm a forward, I played centre, so I think the game one way. But when you hear him talking about stick position, feet position, how you defend your gaps, I'm like 'Really, all that?' Article content 'And he's so passionate about it. He wants to help the young guys. He wants to help the Calgary Flames get better. Like he said to me, 'I've been fortunate to win Stanley Cups. I'd love to win one with the Calgary Flames, too.' He's really excited and ready to go.' Article content Experience alone should make Seabrook a valuable part of the Flames development team. We're talking about a guy who played in 1,114 NHL games, won three Stanley Cups and an Olympic gold medal. Article content If you're a guy like Parekh, who is at the start of his journey going from a superstar in junior to a guy who is trying to establish himself in the NHL, having someone like Seabrook around is only going to help.
