CALGARY – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), announced on Thursday the 40 players, born in 1990 or later, who have been invited to try out for the National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team in Calgary, from August 4-9 at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena.

The players will be competing for one of 22 spots on Team Canada, which will compete at the U18 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka (formerly the Junior World Cup), from August 14-18 in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Canada has won this tournament three straight years.

Jim Hammett, Hockey Canada’s Head Scout, selected the 40 players in consultation with the coaching staff as well as numerous CHL and NHL scouts and general managers. Dave Barr (Guelph, OHL) will be head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team and will be joined behind the bench by assistant coaches Guy Boucher (Drummondville, QMJHL) and Jacques Beaulieu (Saint John, QMJHL).

“I’m very excited, as are Jacques and Guy, to meet all of the players,” said Barr. “I’m expecting a very competitive camp as there is a lot of depth throughout the positions. It was tough to narrow the list down to 40 players with all of the talent in Canada. But we feel with this group that we can compete very strongly for gold in August."

The National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team is one of two Under-18 teams run by Hockey Canada on an annual basis. Canada finished fourth at the 2007 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. Two players that played for Canada at the 2007 World Under-18 Championship – Steven Stamkos (Unionville, ON/Sarnia, OHL) and Yann Sauvé (Rigaud, QC/Saint John, QMJHL) – have been selected for the National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp.

The Under-18 program is the second step of Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence. It starts with the regional/provincial under-17 teams that take part in either the World Under-17 Challenge or the Canada Winter Games. And it concludes with Canada’s National Junior Team. The Program of Excellence also allows Hockey Canada to identify, evaluate and develop young players who may one day represent Canada at such international events as the World Men’s Championship and Olympic Winter Games.

Practice times for the National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp will be posted at Hockey Canada’s website, www.hockeycanada.ca.

National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team Information

Hockey Canada Program of Excellence experience

• 39 of the 40 players that will be attending the Under-18 Selection camp have Program of Excellence experience;

• Two players (Steve Stamkos and Yann Sauvé) were members of Canada’s 2007 National Men’s Under-18 Team, which finished fourth at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship in April;

• 38 players competed in the under-17 tournament at the Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, YT in February 2007;

• Seven players won a gold medal with Team Ontario at the 2007 Canada Winter Games;

• Four players (Sauvé, Phillipe Cornet, Patrice Cormier and Chris Doyle) played at the 2006 World Under-17 Challenge in Regina, SK;

• One player (Sauvé) won gold with Team Quebec at the 2006 World Under-17 Challenge;

• One player (Shawn Lalonde) will be taking part in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence for the first time.

NHL Draft breakdown

• 35 players are eligible for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft

• 5 players are eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft