Wenatchee Forwards Miles, Brown Named to Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence
WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee Wild, proud members of the Western Hockey League (WHL), are excited to announce that 2010-born forwards Kalen Miles and Riley Brown have been invited to take part in Hockey Canada’s national Under-17 Development Camp as part of Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence. The pair were two of 80 players nationwide named to the U17 camp, all of whom have been drafted by Canadian Hockey League clubs.
The U17 camp is viewed as an opportunity to introduce top Canadian players to the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence, and allow them to compete against other top players in the country while being evaluated for inclusion on this year’s U17 World Challenge roster. The 2026 U17 World Challenge is scheduled for November 1 to 7 in Oakville, Ontario and will feature two Canadian teams and four other international squads. A Canadian team has won the tournament four of the last five years, with the two Canadian rosters facing off against each other in the last two championship games. Wenatchee defenseman Boston Tait participated in last year’s tournament with the Canada Red squad, picking up six assists and serving as an alternate captain as his team knocked off Canada White 6-3 to claim gold.
Miles made an outstanding impression in his first Wenatchee outings last season, posting two goals and two assists in his first six WHL games. The 10th overall pick in last year’s WHL Prospects Draft, his Teddy Bear Toss goal on December 14 against the Everett Silvertips was his first marker with the Wild, while his second goal on March 20 against Everett would be the game-winner that evening. Miles would go on to earn points in four of his first six WHL games. The Edmonton, Alberta product also made a strong case with his play at Northern Alberta Xtreme in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL), posting 36 points in 30 regular-season games for NAX’s U18 Prep team before notching seven more in six games at the league’s Western Championships in Penticton, British Columbia. NAX would finish second at the Western Championships, and Miles was named to the circuit’s Prairie Division All-Freshman Team.
Miles impressed in tournament play last season as well, finishing with seven points in five games at the WHL Cup against other top Western Canadian players. He helped his Alberta team take a bronze medal in the tournament, and fired off three goals and two assists against British Columbia in his final round-robin outing of the tournament.
Brown was Wenatchee’s second-round WHL Prospects Draft pick last year, going with the 33rd overall selection in the WHL Prospects Draft. Though he did not appear in a regular-season game for the Wild, he displayed his talents throughout the season on the Saskatchewan provincial circuit, picking up 10 goals and 15 assists in 29 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors U18 AAA team. The Milestone, Saskatchewan native added nine points in 13 playoff games, helping Moose Jaw reach a decisive Game 5 of the Saskatchewan Under-18 Male AAA Hockey League final.
The Wenatchee Wild congratulate Kalen Miles and Riley Brown on their selections to Canada’s Under-17 national development camp, and wish them all success in their quest to represent Team Canada on the international stage.
