HAMMELL AMONG 34 WHL PLAYERS INVITED TO HOCKEY CANADA CAMP
Calgary, Alta. – 34 Western Hockey League players have been invited to participate at a pair of Hockey Canada National Summer Camps in July.
Seventeen WHL players will take part in Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team Selection Camp, scheduled for July 20-27 ahead of the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, while a further 17 WHL players will participate in Canada’s National Junior Team Summer Camp July 23-27 in advance of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Both camps will be held in Calgary, Alta.
Hockey Canada announced the camp rosters Thursday morning.
WHL Players – National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team Selection Camp
| Last Name | First Name | Team | Hometown | Height | Weight | Position |
| Bjarnason | Carson | Brandon Wheat Kings | Carberry, Man. | 6’3” | 176 | G |
| Ratzlaff | Scott | Seattle Thunderbirds | Irma, Alta. | 6’1” | 165 | G |
| Unger | Jackson | Moose Jaw Warriors | Calgary, Alta. | 6’1” | 181 | G |
| Dragicevic | Lukas | Tri-City Americans | Richmond, B.C. | 6’2” | 181 | D |
| Hammell | Kaden | Kamloops Blazers | Langley, B.C. | 6’2” | 181 | D |
| Leslie | Mazden | Vancouver Giants | Lloydminster, Alta. | 6’1” | 181 | D |
| Molendyk | Tanner | Saskatoon Blades | Kamloops, B.C. | 5’11” | 176 | D |
| Price | Caden | Kelowna Rockets | Saskatoon, Sask. | 6’1” | 181 | D |
| Weinstein | Saige | Spokane Chiefs | Edmonton, Alta. | 6’0” | 174 | D |
| Benson | Zachary | Winnipeg ICE | Chilliwack, B.C. | 5’10” | 150 | F |
| Cristall | Andrew | Kelowna Rockets | Burnaby, B.C. | 5’9” | 150 | F |
| Heidt | Riley | Prince George Cougars | Saskatoon, Sask. | 5’11” | 179 | F |
| Howe | Tanner | Regina Pats | Prince Albert, Sask. | 5’8” | 176 | F |
| Lind | Kalan | Red Deer Rebels | Shaunavon, Sask. | 6’0” | 152 | F |
| Oremba | Sam | Seattle Thunderbirds | Regina, Sask. | 6’1” | 187 | F |
| Wormald | Logan | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Langley, B.C. | 5’10” | 165 | F |
| Yager | Brayden | Moose Jaw Warriors | Dundurn, Sask. | 6’0” | 161 | F |
“We are excited to bring together a group of 44 athletes with a solid foundation of junior and international experience for selection camp,” said Alan Millar, Hockey Canada’s director of player personnel and former general manager of the Moose Jaw Warriors. “As our players are preparing to compete in short-term competition, we know all 44 players will come to camp ready to compete for a spot on the team and the opportunity to wear the Maple Leaf in international competition.”
The player selection process also included Lethbridge Hurricanes general manager Peter Anholt and the Canadian Hockey League general managers committee, which includes Kirt Hill of the Edmonton Oil Kings, John Paddock of the Regina Pats and Barclay Parneta of the Vancouver Giants.
WHL Players – National Men’s Junior Team Summer Camp
| Last Name | First Name | Team | Hometown | Height | Weight | Position |
| Brennan | Tyler | Prince George Cougars | Winnipeg, Man. | 6’3” | 190 | G |
| Coward | Chase | Red Deer Rebels | Swift Current, Sask. | 6’2” | 164 | G |
| Milic | Thomas | Seattle Thunderbirds | Coquitlam, B.C. | 6’0” | 170 | G |
| Allan | Nolan | Prince Albert Raiders | Davidson, Sask. | 6’2” | 184 | D |
| Korchinski | Kevin | Seattle Thunderbirds | Saskatoon, Sask. | 6’2” | 175 | D |
| Laroque | Gannon | Victoria Royals | Edmonton, Alta. | 6’2” | 190 | D |
| Mateychuk | Denton | Moose Jaw Warriors | Dominion City, Man. | 5’11” | 194 | D |
| Pickering | Owen | Swift Current Broncos | St. Adolphe, Man. | 6’5” | 178 | D |
| Samson | Ethan | Prince George Cougars | North Delta, B.C. | 6’3” | 183 | D |
| Dach | Colton | Kelowna Rockets | Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. | 6’4” | 205 | F |
| Danielson | Nate | Brandon Wheat Kings | Red Deer, Alta. | 6’1” | 181 | F |
| Firkus | Jagger | Moose Jaw Warriors | Irma, Alta. | 5’10” | 150 | F |
| Geekie | Conor | Winnipeg ICE | Strathclair, Man. | 6’4” | 205 | F |
| Ostapchuk | Zack | Vancouver Giants | St. Albert, Alta. | 6’3” | 198 | F |
| Savoie | Matthew | Winnipeg ICE | St. Albert, Alta. | 5’9” | 178 | F |
| Schaefer | Reid | Seattle Thunderbirds | Spruce Grove, Alta. | 6’3” | 213 | F |
| Tschigerl | Sean | Calgary Hitmen | Whitecourt, Alta. | 6’0” | 186 | F |
“This is an exciting first step as we begin preparations for the upcoming season and the opportunity to compete at the 2023 World Juniors on home ice in Halifax and Moncton this December,” Millar noted. “We are excited about this group of players, and we look forward to returning to the ice for a highly-competitive camp to kick off a new season.”
Canada’s National Junior Team Summer Camp staff will feature six experienced coaches from across the CHL, three of whom ply their trade in the WHL. Shaun Clouston (Kamloops Blazers), Brent Kisio (Lethbridge Hurricanes) and Brad Lauer (Edmonton Oil Kings) will all take part in the five-day camp.
Eighteen of the 22 WHL Clubs will send at least one player to the Hockey Canada Summer Camps. The Seattle Thunderbirds will be represented by five players, while the Moose Jaw Warriors boast four invitees. The Kelowna Rockets, Prince George Cougars and Winnipeg ICE each have three players invited to the Summer Camps. The Brandon Wheat Kings, Red Deer Rebels and Vancouver Giants will be represented by two players, while the Calgary Hitmen, Kamloops Blazers, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Prince Albert Raiders, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades, Spokane Chiefs, Swift Current Broncos, Tri-City Americans and Victoria Royals each have one invitee to the Hockey Canada Summer Camps.
The 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup is scheduled for July 31-August 6 at the Peavey Mart Centrium in Red Deer, Alta.
The 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship will be held in Halifax, N.S. and Moncton, N.B. from December 26, 2022 through January 5, 2023.
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.
