CALGARY, AB -- Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, announced on Saturday that Cory Clouston has been named Head Coach of Canada’s 2006 National Summer (August) Under-18 Team. Clouston, who was an assistant coach with last year’s gold medal winning Summer Under-18 team (August 2005) at the 2005 Under-18 Junior World Cup in Slovakia/Czech Republic, has just completed his fourth season as head coach of the Western Hockey League’s Kootenay ICE.

Clouston, a native of Viking, AB, will lead Canada’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2006 Under-18 Junior World Cup (Ivan Hlinka Memorial) from August 8-12, 2006 in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The 2006 Under-18 Junior World Cup will bring together the National Under-18 Teams from Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA.

Canada’s Summer Under-18 Team will be comprised of the best Canadian players born in 1989 or later, many of which will be top prospects for the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. One year ago, Canada’s 2005 Summer Under-18 Team included players that are now top 2006 NHL Draft prospects, a list which includes Jonathan Bernier, James Sheppard, Jordan Staal and Jonathan Toews.

Hockey Canada and the CHL also announced on Saturday the appointments of Dave Hunchak and Jeff Truitt as assistant coaches of Canada’s 2006 National Summer Under-18 Team. Dave Hunchak, a native of Warman, SK, is an assistant coach with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncs. Hunchak served as Video coach with Canada’s National Junior Team, winning a gold medal at the 2006 IIHF World Junior Championship in Vancouver. Jeff Truitt, a native of Rosetown, SK, has just completed his second season as Head Coach of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets. Truitt was a video coach with Canada’s 2004 National Junior Team, winning a silver medal at the 2004 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Canada’s National Under-18 Program consists of two teams, a National Summer Under-18 Team which is selected following an August Selection Camp and takes part in the annual Under-18 Junior World Cup each August, and a World Championship Under-18 Team which takes part in the IIHF World Under-18 Championship annually in April. Canada’s Under-18 coaching staff named on Friday will lead the Summer Under-18 program in August, 2006. The coaching staff for the World Championship team will be named in the spring of the 2007.

NATIONAL SUMMER UNDER-18 TEAM SUMMER SELECTION CAMP

All three coaches will have the opportunity to evaluate Canada’s top Under 18 aged players (born in 1989 or later) this summer at Hockey Canada’s 2006 National Summer Under-18 Team Summer Selection Camp. Canada’s Under-18 Junior World Cup roster will be selected at the conclusion of the camp which will run from July 28-August 2 in Calgary, AB at the Father David Bauer Arena. A detailed camp schedule will be released in June. A list of players invited to this camp in Calgary will also be announced in June.