Comrie Named to Canada's Summer U18 Team

TORONTO, Ont. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, announced Monday the 22 players who will play for Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2012 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament, Aug. 13-18 in Breclav, Czech Republic and Piestany, Slovakia.

Among the 22 players named, nine are members of Clubs in the Western Hockey League including Eric Comrie (Tri-City Americans), Madison Bowey (Kelowna Rockets), Kayle Doetzel (Red Deer Rebels), Josh Morrissey (Prince Albert Raiders), Shea Theodore (Seattle Thunderbirds), Morgan Klimchuk (Regina Pats, Curtis Lazar (Edmonton Oil Kings), Nic Petan (Portland Winterhawks) and Sam Reinhart (Kootenay Ice).

CLICK HERE -  PDF FOR CANADA’S NATIONAL MEN’S SUMMER UNDER-18 TEAM ROSTER

The roster was finalized Monday following Hockey Canada’s four-day selection camp at the MasterCard Centre in Toronto. The camp included daily practices and three Red-White intrasquad games.

Canada’s roster is made up of 13 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders. Head coach Todd Gill (Cardinal, Ont./Kingston, OHL), assembled the roster with support from assistant coaches Yanick Jean (Alma, Que./Victoriaville, QMJHL) and Scott Walker (Cambridge, Ont./Guelph, OHL), Kevin Prendergast, Hockey Canada’s head scout for the men’s Program of Excellence, and Brad Pascall, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations/national teams.

“It was a very competitive camp, we could of easily chosen all these players to play in the tournament,” said Gill. “There is a lot of talent on the ice in this country, and we look forward to getting to Europe and continuing Canada’s great tradition at this event.”

Canada has won the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament four consecutive years, and has won 17 of 21 summer under-18 tournaments since 1991. It will play in Group B in Piestany with Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland. Group A, which consists of Finland, Russia, the Czech Republic and the United States, will play out of Breclav.

Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team breakdown
Two goaltenders, seven defencemen, 13 forwards
22 players from the Canadian Hockey League
Nine players from the Western Hockey League
Seven players from the Ontario Hockey League
Six players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
21 players with experience in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence

Canada will face Czech Republic in a pre-tournament game in Piestany on Saturday, Aug. 11 before opening the tournament against Switzerland on Monday, Aug. 13. The top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals on Friday, Aug. 17, with the gold medal game scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 18.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SCHEDULE OF THE 2012 MEMORIAL OF IVAN HLINKA TOURNAMENT

There will be no TV or radio coverage of the event. Hockey Canada’s official website, www.hockeycanada.ca, is the place to find complete coverage of Canada at the tournament.

For more information on Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team and Hockey Canada, please visit www.HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hockeycanada and www.twitter.com/hc_teamcanada.