November 28, 2011
NR.154
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.
Of the 41 players invited, three are returning players – Quinton Howden (Oak Bank, Man./Moose Jaw, WHL),
Jaden Schwartz (Wilcox, Sask./Colorado College, CCHA) and Mark Visentin (Waterdown, Ont./Niagara, OHL) 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 2010
or 2011 NHL Entry Drafts, including fourteen first-round selections and nine second-round picks.
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.
