Fourty-Four of Atlantic Canada’s Best Invited to Team Atlantic Summer Evaluation Camp

SAINT JOHN, NB – Fourty-Four of Atlantic Canada’s best young male hockey players have been invited to attend the Team Atlantic Under 17 Summer Evaluation Camp, which will run from July 11th-15th, 2010 at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

Of the fourty-four, twenty-two players will be selected over the coming months to be part of Team Atlantic which will compete in the 2011 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge in Winnipeg, Manitoba from December 29th, 2010 - January 4th, 2011. Team Atlantic will be joined at the event by four other Canadian Regional Teams and five International Teams.

The players and staff will assemble in Wolfville, Nova Scotia on July 11th for a five day training camp under the direction of Head Coach Greg Leland (Quispamsis, NB) Assistant Coaches Stephane Leblanc (Moncton, NB) and Doug Jackman (St. John’s, NL).

Other guest coaches from around Atlantic Canada who will assist in player evaluation and player development will join the Team Atlantic Staff in Wolfville. At the conclusion of the training camp, players will continue to be evaluated by the Team Atlantic Coaching and Scouting Staff prior to the team being named in November.

“With the top 44 players in our region of Canada able to participate in a highly competitive environment, it should prove to be a terrific opportunity for these elite athletes to be challenged amongst their peers”.  stated Head Coach Greg Leland.

“We are always cognizant of the fact that this camp is an avenue to assist in the development of the young hockey player, but it is also incumbent upon the staff to ensure we provide positive learning opportunities that go beyond the sport.  While the summer camp is the first step on the road to the World Under 17 Championships in Winnipeg, it plants the seeds for creating our identity as Team Atlantic. While we will have no control over the outcome of our games, we, as a team, will have control over our commitment level, our preparation level, our performance level, and our integrity as we represent Atlantic Canada on the international stage.” stated Leland.

“The level of talent in Atlantic Canada continues to grow and we are very proud of the work that is being done within each of the four Atlantic Hockey Branches to foster development from the grass roots level through to the High Performance Programs,” said Nic Jansen, General Manager of Team Atlantic. “The fourty-four players who have been invited to this Summer Evaluation Camp are on the verge of something very special. They are one step closer to playing for Team Atlantic and having the opportunity to wear a Team Canada Jersey in International Competition.”

The Team Atlantic Under 17 Regional Program is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence progressing to the Under 18 National Team and ending with the National Junior Team. The primary objectives of the Under 17 Program are to identify, evaluate, and condition players to the rigors of international competition by giving them their first exposure to international hockey, international officiating, and travel. Players in Atlantic Canada have been gaining exposure to the High Performance Programs through the branch Male Under 14, Male Under 15 and Male Under 16 Program, prior to their entry in the Under 17 Program.

Team Atlantic’s best finish came in 2005, when an entry featuring James Sheppard (Minnesota Wild, NHL), Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins, NHL), Alex Grant (Wilkes-Barre Penguins, AHL), Andrew Bodnarchuk (Providence Bruins, AHL), and Robert Slaney (Toronto Marlies, AHL) captured bronze in Lethbridge, Alberta.  

The following is a list of invited players to the evaluation camp:

Goaltenders

 

Brennan, Jacob Gaudet, Chase Jenkins, Matthew Whitney, Brandon

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Defense

Abbott, Michael Arsenault, Cameron Beauvais, Brett Brown, Adam Haché, Justin Hoyles, Aaron Kalbfleisch, Brandon Levesque, Patrick Lindstrom, Nicklas MacKinnon, Ryan Power, Ryan Power, Tyler Shewfelt, Mitchell Small, Kent Wood, Harrison Wood, Brayden

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Forwards

 

Anderson, Stephen Boudreau, Shawn Burke, Taylor Bursey, Matt Donaghey, Connor Farrell, Kyle Johnston, Ross Jones, Mitchell Langan, Ryan Lapierre, Stefan MacInnis, Stephen MacLauchlan, Craig Malone, Brett Martin, Ross O'Brien, Liam Oliver-Dares, Devon Pelletier, Robert Penney, Ryan Pye, Brandon Ryan, Andrew Tremaine, Mark Trenholm, Joey Turnbull, Brent Walsh, Justin

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2010-2011 Team Atlantic Staff:

Greg Leland, Head Coach, Quispamsis, NB
Stephane LeBlanc, Assistant Coach, Moncton, NB
Doug Jackman, Assistant Coach, St. John’s, NL
Ryan Leland, Goaltending Coach, Quispamsis, NB
Kevin Mitchell, Director of Hockey Operations, Halifax, NS
Nic Jansen, General Manager, Saint John, NB
Dave Curnew, Assistant General Manager, St. John’s, NL
Chris Beaudoin, Trainer, Fredericton, NB
Nathan Belliveau, Equipment Manager, Saint John, NB

For Media Information:

Nic Jansen
Team Atlantic, General Manager
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(506) 642-0494

Dave Curnew
Team Atlantic, Assistant General Manager
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(506) 642-0491