Guenther invited to Hockey Canada’s under-18 summer selection camp
Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Oil Kings forward Dylan Guenther is one of 46 of the country’s top under-18 players to be invited by Hockey Canada to attend Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp.
Dylan Guenther, a right-winger from Edmonton, AB, posted 59 points (26G, 33A) in 58 games in his rookie WHL season, setting new franchise records with 26 goals and 59 points by a rookie. He was named the 2020 WHL Rookie of the Year and finalist for the CHL Rookie of the Year.
At 6’0.5, 170 pounds, Guenther has previous experience with Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence. He played for Team Canada White at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Medicine Hat, AB. He also won a bronze medal with Team Alberta at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, AB.
He was the Oil Kings’ first-round selection, first overall, in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft.
In total, six goaltenders, 14 defencemen and 26 forwards were set to compete for a chance to represent Canada at the 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which was scheduled for Aug. 3-8 in Edmonton and Red Deer, before it was cancelled April 28 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The camp roster features 42 players who played for Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red or Team Canada White at the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Medicine Hat, AB, and Swift Current, SK, last November.
The selection camp roster and team would have been coached by Louis Robitaille (Montreal, Que./Gatineau, QMJHL) as head coach, with Alan Letang (Renfrew, Ont./Owen Sound, OHL) and Dennis Williams (Stratford, Ont./Everett, WHL) as assistant coaches.
With the cancellation of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, the U-18 program’s focus will now turn to the 2021 IIHF U-18 World Championship next spring; a host city has not yet been announced. The Czech Republic and Slovakia will host the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup before it returns to Edmonton and Red Deer in 2022.
