WHL Trio Earn Camp Invites for Team USA

USA Hockey unveiled its 42-man selection camp roster today in advance of the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship this December in Toronto & Montreal. Caleb Jones (Portland Winterhawks), Evan Sarthou (Tri-City Americans) and Kailer Yamamoto (Spokane Chiefs) will each travel to Plymouth, Michigan from July 30-August 7 to compete for spots on Team USA.

Sarthou, a 6-1 180 lb netminder from Black Diamond, WA, recently finished his third season with the Americans. In 60 games this season he collected a 26-28-0-2 record, 3.46 goals against average, a 0.888 save percentage and seven shutouts. Sarthou won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2015 IIHF Under-18 World Championship and is eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft.

Jones, a defenceman from Frisco, Texas, posted a 55-point rookie season (10g-45a) last year with the Winterhawks. Drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft, Jones also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2015 IIHF Under-18 World Championship.

Hailing from Spokane, Washington, Kailer Yamamoto recently completed his second WHL season with his hometown Chiefs. Yamamoto’s 71 points (19g-52a) in 57 games this year followed a 57-point (23g-34a) rookie campaign that saw him earn WHL Western Conference Rookie of the Year honours. A member of Team USA’s bronze medal-winning squad at the 2016 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, Yamamoto is eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft.

Here are the 42 players invited to the 2016 National Junior Evaluation Camp. #NJEC

Details: https://t.co/hklxjJBQDF pic.twitter.com/MGg9e0K5fB

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) June 21, 2016