CALGARY – Forty of Canada’s top Under-18 (born in 1990 or later) players will be in Calgary from August 4-9 for the National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena.

The players will be competing for one of 22 spots on Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, which will compete at the Under-18 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 consecutive years.

Hockey Canada has announced that Patrice Cormier (Moncton, NB/ Rimouski, QMJHL) will not be able to attend camp due to injury. Cormier will be replaced by Adam Henrique (Burford, ON/ Windsor, OHL) on the selection camp roster.

The 40 players will be split into two teams – Team Red and Team White – and will practice at different times throughout the week. Intersquad games will be held on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, with the final roster of 22 players being announced on Wednesday. Canada will be coached by Dave Barr (Guelph, OHL), who will be joined by assistant coaches Guy Boucher (Drummondville, QMJHL) and Jacques Beaulieu (Saint John, QMJHL). Al Murray, Canada’s head scout for National Junior, National Under-18 and Under-17 programs will assist the coaching staff with player evaluations.

The Under-18 program is the second step of Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence. It starts with the regional and provincial Under-17 teams that take part in either the World Under-17 Challenge or the Canada Winter Games, and 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 IIHF World Championship and Olympic Winter Games.