CALGARY, ALBERTA – Forty of Canada’s best under-18 aged hockey players will be in Calgary, AB from August 1-7, 2003 to attend Canada’s National Under-18 Summer Team Development and Selection Camp at the Father David Bauer Olympic Arena, Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League announced on Tuesday.

Canada prepares to shoot for an 8th straight international Under-18 Summer Event gold medal having captured gold at all seven previous events.

Of the 40 players attending the camp and all but five (Michael Blunden, Alex Bourret, Sidney Crosby, Blair Jones, Wacey Rabbit) are eligible to be selected in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, with many considered ‘top prospects’ projected to be high draft picks.

The camp will be under the direction of Head Coach Bob Lowes (Regina, WHL) and assistants Dave Cameron (Toronto St. Michael’s, OHL) and Pascal Vincent (Cape Breton, QMJHL). Hockey Canada’s Head Scout, Blair Mackasey, along with the coaching staff, will oversee the camp evaluations and selection of the players named to the roster for the U18 Junior World Cup in Europe.

Twenty-two players from camp will be selected on August 7th to Canada’s National Under-18 Summer Team roster. The team will participate in the U18 Junior World Cup in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, from August 11-18, 2003. Canada has participated in an August Under-18 Tournament in Europe since 1997. Other teams participating in the U18 Junior World Cup include: the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Sweden and the United States.

The Under-18 program is part of Hockey Canada’s three-stage Program of Excellence beginning with the regional Under-17 teams and ending with the National Junior Team. The primary objectives of the Under-18 program are to identify, evaluate and condition players to the rigors of international competition by giving them their first exposure to international hockey, international officiating, larger ice surfaces, and travel. Many of these Under-18 players will move on to play with Canada’s National Junior team.

NOTE: Practices and games are open to the public free of charge

NOTE TO MEDIA: Players and staff will be available for media interviews AFTER practices and games unless otherwise indicated.

Canada will be defending World Champions at the ten-team 2004 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in April, 2004 in Minsk, Belarus.

For further information on the National Under-18 Team, the Program of Excellence and Hockey Canada, visit Hockey Canada’s official website at www.hockeycanada.ca