CALGARY, ALBERTA - Canada's National Under 18 Summer Team begins a nine-day development and selection camp on Thursday, at the Father David Bauer Olympic Arena in Calgary, AB, in preparation for the Eight Nations Under 18 Hockey Tournament in Slovakia, the Canadian Hockey Association and the Canadian Hockey League announced on Monday.

Twenty-two of the thirty-four players in camp will represent Canada in Slovakia. Head coach Jim Hulton, head coach of the OHL’s Belleville Bulls, will be assisted by Rick Allain, head coach of the OHL’s Peterborough Petes and Dean Chynoweth, head coach of the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds. The CHA’s Head Scout Blair Mackasey will oversee the evaluation of the players with the coaches.

The 2002 National Under 18 Summer Team will be comprised entirely of players born in 1985. The Under 18 National team is part of a three stage Program of Excellence beginning with the under 17 regional teams and ending with the World Junior team. The primary objectives of the under 18 program are to identify, evaluate and condition players to the rigours of international competition by giving them their first exposure to international hockey, international officiating, larger ice surfaces, and travel.

The Under 18 Summer Team is a first step in preparation of Canada’s participation in the 2003 IIHF World Under 18 Hockey Championship next April in Russia. The World Championship team will be comprised of players under 18 years old whose teams are not playing in either the CHL, Junior A or collegiate playoffs at that time.

Canada’s National Under 18 Summer Team - Red and White rosters