PIESTANY, SVK – Head coach George Burnett has announced that defenceman Ryan Murray (White City, Sask./Everett, WHL) will serve as captain of Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2010 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka, which begins Monday in Piestany and Breclav, Czech Republic.

Murray is the only player on Canada’s 22-man roster who has previously been a part of Hockey Canada’s under-18 program – he was the lone underage player to be selected to play for Canada at April’s 2010 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Belarus, where he was named one of Canada’s top three players by the coaching staff, which included Burnett.

The Prairie Storm Minor Hockey Association product joins an exclusive list of players who have worn the ‘C’ for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, a list the includes a pair of 2010 Olympic gold medallists – Brent Seabrook (2002) and Jonathan Toews (2005) – and 2008 NHL first-overall selection Steven Stamkos (2007).

In addition, Burnett also announced that four players will be Canada’s alternate captains during the tournament: Philip Danault (Victoriaville, Que./Victoriaville, QMJHL), Scott Harrington (Kingston, Ont./London, OHL), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Burnaby, B.C./Red Deer, WHL) and Duncan Siemens (Sherwood Park, Alta./Saskatoon, WHL). The four will wear the ‘A’ on a rotating basis, with two serving in each game.