SEVEN WHL PLAYERS NAMED TO CANADA'S U18 TEAM - (PATS JORDAN WEAL SELECTED)

WHL.CA - PARTS TAKEN FROM -

- http://www.whl.ca/seven-whl-players-named-to-canadas-national-mens-summer-u18-team-p128675 -

August 4, 2009

For the 3rd year in a row, a Regina Pat will be representing Canada at the 2009 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament. Jordan Weal was named to the summer U-18 squad Tuesday night. In 2007, Jordan Eberle and Colten Teubert played on the gold medal winning team that was coached by Pat Quinn, while last summer, Garrett Mitchell won a gold medal with the summer U-18 team.

This will be the second time that Jordan Weal will put on a Team Canada jersey. We played for Team Pacific at last winter's World U-17 Hockey Challenge in Port Alberni B.C. With the Pats last season, Weal was second on the team in scoring with 16 goals and 54 assists. He was the Eastern Conference's nominee for WHL Rookie of the Year.

CALGARY, ALBERTA – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, today announced the 22 players who will represent Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2009 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament.

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

The 22-player roster was finalized on Tuesday following Hockey Canada’s four-day selection camp at the Father David Bauer Olympic Arena in Calgary. The camp included daily practices, along with three Red-White intersquad games.

Canada’s roster is made up of 13 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders. Bob Boughner (Windsor, Ont./Windsor, OHL), Canada’s head coach, assembled the roster along with assistants Chris DePiero (King City, Ont./Oshawa, OHL) and Mark Holick (Penticton, B.C./Kootenay, WHL). Hockey Canada’s head scout, Al Murray, provided support throughout the process. (Photo: Jordan Weal - Regina Pats Collection)

“Selecting these 22 players was a difficult task,” says Boughner. “It was a very competitive camp, and all 40 players performed well. However, we feel we have selected the best players to represent Canada in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.”

Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team will compete in the 2009 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament from August 11-15. Canada has won the tournament four of the past five years. Canada will play in Group A with the Czech Republic, Sweden and Switzerland, a group that will be based in Breclav, Czech Republic. Group B, which will play in Piestany, Slovakia, consists of Finland, Russia, Slovakia and the United States.

Canada will play a pair of pre-tournament games, August 7 against Slovakia and August 9 versus the United States, both in Piestany. Canada opens the 2009 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament on August 11 when it faces Sweden in Breclav.

GROUP - A - Canada, Sweden, Czeh, Switzerland

GROUP - B - U.S.A., Russia, Slovakia, Findland

CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE SCHEDULE OF THE 2009 MEMORIAL OF IVAN HLINKA

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