A Lot Of WHL Talent on Canadian U-18 Team

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).

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 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.