113 CHL prospects invited to Canada’s virtual Under-17 Development Camp
CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has announced a roster of 113 Canadian Hockey League prospects invited to its virtual national under-17 development camp, set for July 19-25, as well as the coaching staffs that will lead Canada’s national men’s under-17 teams at the 2020 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
12 goaltenders, 37 defencemen and 64 forwards will be split into six teams for the week-long virtual camp, participating in a variety of sessions with a focus on player development through online education.
Behind the bench, Kelly Buchberger (Tri-City Americans) will head Team Canada White, with Stéphane Julien (Sherbrooke Phoenix) leading Team Canada Black and Chris Lazary (Saginaw Spirit) serving as head coach of Team Canada Red.
Joining Buchberger’s staff will be assistant coaches Maxime Desruisseaux (Victoriaville Tigres) and Chad Wiseman (Guelph Storm), while Josh Hepditch (Moncton Wildcats) and Ryan Kuwabara (Flint Firebirds) will work with Julien, and Kris Mallette (Kelowna Rockets) and Brad Yetman (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies) will assist Lazary.
“The national under-17 development camp is the first stage in introducing these athletes to the Program of Excellence, and it is a great opportunity for them to develop as players and learn what it takes to wear the Maple Leaf,” said Scott Salmond, senior vice-president of national teams with Hockey Canada. “Our three under-17 teams are very fortunate to have these nine experienced coaches, and we know our coaching and support staffs will embrace the opportunity to guide the development of the top young players in Canada.”
Buchberger has spent two seasons as head coach of the Americans. He previously served as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders (2017-18) and held various positions with the Edmonton Oilers from 2008-17, including six seasons as an assistant coach (2008-14). Buchberger twice won the Stanley Cup with the Oilers as a player, in 1987 and 1990, and represented Canada three times at the IIHF World Championship, winning gold in 1994 and silver in 1996.
Julien won the Trophée Ron-Lapointe as QMJHL coach of the year this season, his fourth with the Phoenix. He took over the head coach position during the 2015-16 season after serving more than three seasons as an assistant coach with the Phoenix (2012-15). Julien served as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship and, as a player, won the Spengler Cup in 2000 and Deutschland Cup in 2008 with Team Canada.
Lazary was promoted to head coach of the Spirit in November 2018 after more than two seasons (2016-18) as an associate coach with Saginaw and two seasons (2014-16) as an assistant coach with the Sarnia Sting. Prior to his CHL coaching career, he spent two seasons (2010-12) as an assistant coach with the St. Michael’s Buzzers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) and one season (2012-13) as an assistant with York University.
Desruisseaux was hired as associate coach of the Tigres in May 2020, returning to Victoriaville after spending six seasons with the Tigres as an assistant coach (2013-19). He will make his second appearance with the under-17 program; he was an assistant coach with Team Canada White at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
Wiseman is entering his third season with the Storm, second as associate coach, having helped the team to the OHL championship in 2019. He began his coaching career as head coach of the New York Riveters of the National Women’s Hockey League in 2015, winning the Isobel Cup with the team (renamed the Metropolitan Riveters) in 2018.
Hepditch has spent the past three seasons (2017-20) as an assistant coach with the Wildcats. He also coached the Amherst Ramblers (2014-15) and St. Stephen County Aces (2015-17) of the Maritime Hockey League (MHL), and served as a guest coach at Canada’s national under-17 development camp in 2019.
Kuwabara recently completed his first season as an associate coach with the Firebirds after two seasons (2017-19) as an assistant with the Spirit. He served as a video coach with Team Canada White at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, and was a guest coach at U17 camp in 2019. As a player, Kuwabara competed in the 1998 Olympic Winter Games and five IIHF World Championships with Japan.
Mallette was named head coach of the Rockets in March 2020, having joined the Rockets as an assistant coach ahead of the 2014-15 season. His coaching career also included stops with the Vernon Vipers (BCHL) and the North Okanagan Knights (KIJHL). Mallette was drafted 62nd overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.
Yetman is entering his second season as an assistant coach with the Huskies after two seasons (2017-19) as head coach of the East Coast Blizzard of the Newfoundland and Labrador Major Midget League (NLMMHL). He returns to the under-17 program after serving as a guest coach at U17 camp in 2019. As a player, he represented Team Atlantic at the 2008 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.
113 CHL prospects invited to Canada’s virtual Under-17 Development Camp
Goaltenders:
Ethan Buenaventura (Calgary Hitmen)
Rémi Delafontaine (Chicoutimi Sagueneens)
Domenic DiVincentiis (North Bay Battalion)
Reid Dyck (Swift Current Broncos)
Dylan Ernst (Kamloops Blazers)
Vincent Filion (Val-d’Or Foreurs)
Charles-Édward Gravel (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Matthew Kieper (Regina Pats)
Nolan Lalonde (Erie Otters)
Riley Mercer (Drummondville Voltigeurs)
Jackson Parsons (Kitchener Rangers)
Nicolas Ruccia (Cape Breton Eagles)
Defencemen:
Aaron Brown (Flint Firebirds)
Michael Buchinger (Guelph Storm)
Jorian Donovan (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Keaton Dowhaniuk (Prince George Cougars)
Jackson Edward (London Knights)
George Fegaras (Kitchener Rangers)
Jake Furlong (Halifax Mooseheads)
Isaiah George (London Knights)
Dyllan Gill (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Ryan Hopkins (Moncton Wildcats)
Matthew Jovanovic (Saginaw Spirit)
Tyson Jugnauth (Swift Current Broncos)
Kevin Korchinski (Seattle Thunderbirds)
Maveric Lamoureux (Drummondville Voltigeurs)
Jacob Leblanc (Kitchener Rangers)
Alec Leonard (Niagara IceDogs)
Mats Lindgren (Kamloops Blazers)
Tristan Luneau (Gatineau Olympiques)
Matteo Mann (Chicoutimi Sagueneens)
Michael Mastrodomenico (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Denton Mateychuk (Moose Jaw Warriors)
Tnias Mathurin (North Bay Battalion)
Hunter Mayo (Red Deer Rebels)
Donovan McCoy (Peterborough Petes)
Matthew Morden (Sarnia Sting)
Ty Nelson (North Bay Battalion)
Josh Niedermayer (Vancouver Giants)
Kalem Parker (Victoria Royals)
Shawn Ramsey (Peterborough Petes)
Pier-Olivier Roy (Victoriaville Tigres)
Brayden Schmitt (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Grayden Siepmann (Calgary Hitmen)
Spencer Sova (Erie Otters)
Jason Spizawka (Victoria Royals)
Madden Steen (Owen Sound Attack)
Noah Warren (Gatineau Olympiques)
Jace Weir (Red Deer Rebels)
Forwards:
Sam Alfano (Peterborough Petes)
Donovan Arsenault (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Owen Beck (Mississauga Steelheads)
Connor Bedard (Regina Pats)
Gavin Bryant (Owen Sound Attack)
Ben Bujold (London Knights)
Leighton Carruthers (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Aiden Castle (Oshawa Generals)
Carson Christy (Mississauga Steelheads)
Justin Côté (Drummondville Voltigeurs)
Brody Crane (London Knights)
Niall Crocker (Prince Albert Raiders)
Nate Danielson (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Josh Davies (Swift Current Broncos)
Kocha Delic (Sudbury Wolves)
Justin DeZoete (Peterborough Petes)
Jordan Dumais (Halifax Mooseheads)
Adam Fantilli (Saginaw Spirit)
Jonathan Fauchon (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Pano Fimis (Niagara IceDogs)
Conor Geekie (Winnipeg ICE)
David Goyette (Sudbury Wolves)
Kyren Gronick (Prince George Cougars)
Cédrick Guindon (Owen Sound Attack)
Jordan Gustafson (Seattle Thunderbirds)
Hunter Haight (Barrie Colts)
Simon Hughes (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Beau Jelsma (Barrie Colts)
Jake Karabela (Guelph Storm)
Michael La Starza (Drummondville Voltigeurs)
Jhett Larson (Red Deer Rebels)
Zakary Lavoie (Mississauga Steelheads)
Andrew Leblanc (Kitchener Rangers)
Connor Levis (Kamloops Blazers)
Brandon Lisowsky (Saskatoon Blades)
Rieger Lorenz (Winnipeg ICE)
Yoan Loshing (Moncton Wildcats)
Paul Ludwinski (Kingston Frontenacs)
Cooper Matthews (Barrie Colts)
Bryce McConnell-Barker (Soo Greyhounds)
Ryan McGuire (Guelph Storm)
Ryder McIntyre (Sarnia Sting)
Nicholas Moldenhauer (Ottawa 67’s)
Matthew Poitras (Guelph Storm)
Caleb Reimer (Edmonton Oil Kings)
Rylen Roersma (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Lucas Ross (Erie Otters)
Jake Rozzi (Moncton Wildcats)
Matthew Savoie (Winnipeg ICE)
Samuel Savoie (Gatineau Olympiques)
Landon Sim (London Knights)
Bowden Singleton (Vancouver Giants)
Colton Smith (London Knights)
Léo St-Michel (Baie-Comeau Drakkar)
Brady Stonehouse (Ottawa 67’s)
Ben Thornton (Spokane Chiefs)
Antonin Verreault (Gatineau Olympiques)
Markus Vidicek (Halifax Mooseheads)
Dalyn Wakely (North Bay Battalion)
Mathew Ward (Swift Current Broncos)
Oasiz Wiesblatt (Medicine Hat Tigers)
Luke Woodworth (Drummondville Voltigeurs)
Koehn Ziemmer (Prince George Cougars)
Tyson Zimmer (Brandon Wheat Kings)
The support staff that will work with the three Canadians teams at the 2020 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge includes:
- Directors of operations Connor Cameron, Kirt Hill (Edmonton Oil Kings) and Nick Sinclair.
- Video coaches Noah Bucholtz (Peterborough Petes), Elliott Mondou (Shawinigan Cataractes), and Landon Watson (Regina Pats)
- Goaltending consultants Paul Drew (Charlottetown Islanders), Charles McTavish (Ottawa 67’s) and Dany Sabourin (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
- Mental performance consultants Kyle McDonald, Ashwin Patel (Guelph Storm) and Connor Primeau.
- Equipment managers Ramandeep Dhanjal (Prince George Cougars), Clayton Johns (Barrie Colts) and Andrew MacNeill (Charlottetown Islanders)
- Athletic therapists Andrew Oddy (Drummondville Voltigeurs), Andrew Sachkiw (North Bay Battalion) and Chris Trivieri (Niagara IceDogs).
- Team physicians Dr. Ben Cameron (Lethbridge Hurricanes), Dr. R.J. MacKenzie (Cape Breton Eagles) and Dr. Wanda Millard (London Knights).
For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook and Twitter.