Cougars Prospect Jordan Harris Gets NHLPA Invite
The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) announced Tuesday the names of 42 selected bantam-aged players who will participate in the first annual Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Camp. One of the players selected for the camp is Prince George Cougars first round bantam pick Jordan Harris, a defenceman from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
Hosted by NHL players under the leadership of 21-year NHL veteran Gary Roberts, the invitation-only camp will be held at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario from August 2 to 6, 2011. The five-day camp will conclude with an inter squad exhibition game on Saturday, August 6.
The Cougars selected Harris 10th overall in the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft. The 6’1″, 170 pound blue-liner skated for the Prince Albert Bantam Pirates and had 10 goals and 24 assists for 34 points in 23 regular season games. Harris helped lead the Pirates to a Saskatchewan Bantam AA Championship.
Harris is the third defenceman the Cougars have taken in the first round in the last four years, joining Jesse Forsberg (2008) and Josh Smith (2009).
Since its launch in November 2010, the Allstate All-Canadians program (www.allstate.all-canadians.com) has enabled NHL players and leading experts to successfully reach hundreds of thousands of young athletes, parents and coaches at every age and skill level across the country through the web, grassroots initiatives and special events, for the purpose of mentoring and guiding the next generation of Canada’s hockey youth.
“We are incredibly pleased with the grassroots success of the program for players of all skill levels over the past several months,” said Mike Ouellet, Chief of Business Affairs for the NHLPA. “Now we are looking forward to making a difference with a group of young players who have already been recognized in their own communities as elite prospects. A key goal of our camp is to help equip these athletes with information and tools to help them deal with the choices that lie immediately ahead in their hockey career plans. Who better to do that than NHL players who have gone down the same road and who have valuable experience and advice to share?”
Players attending the mentorship camp, which would not be possible without the generous support of Allstate Canada, will receive important instruction both on and off the ice. Classroom sessions will cover a variety of foundational topics such as nutrition, strength and fitness, sports psychology, financial responsibility and personal values. Parents will be invited to participate in selected sessions designed to equip families with the information they need to help make well-informed decisions.
“These young players and their families will learn how to strategically prepare to play hockey,” said Gary Roberts. “We will emphasize how important it is to make a commitment to fitness, nutrition and mental development if they want to achieve longevity at an elite level. Today’s game is played at such a high level that these young players need every edge they can find to be successful. We’re going to show them how to get that edge early in their development.”
“One of the key differentiators of the Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Camp is the life lessons these young players will learn from today’s stars and leading industry experts, including leadership, teamwork, perseverance and resilience,” said Chris Kiah, President and Chief Executive Officer of Allstate Canada. “While not every young player is going to reach his ultimate hockey dream, many will take a place among the leaders of tomorrow in many different parts of Canadian society.”
