Ryan Howse Invited to Canada's Under 18 Selection Camp

Bruins forward Ryan Howse is one of 40 players invited to Canada's Under 18 try outs

Ryan Howse hasn’t booked a ticket to the Czech Republic for a midsummer visit just yet. But with a working vacation in Europe beckoning, he’s keeping the dates open.

As a born and bred Canadian, it’s Howse’s ambition to wear the maple leaf as a member of a national team and he will realize that goal if he makes it through the selection process to crack the 22-player Under-18 team roster.

Hockey Canada has invited Howse and 39 others who share a 1991 birthday to attend the Team Canada Under-18 training camp in Calgary, Aug. 1-6. The U-18s, will represent Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament, Aug. 12-16 in Piestany, Czech Republic.

Howse learned he was on the camp list Tuesday, when his father Jason visited the Hockey Canada website. A Hockey Canada official confirmed it on Wednesday when he called the family home in Prince George.

“It’s been one of my biggest dreams since I was little, watching the world juniors at Christmas time -- it’s a pretty exciting thing, a pretty big accomplishment for me,” said Howse, who will celebrate his 17th birthday July 6.

The five-foot-10, 183-pound Howse last competed internationally at the 10-team World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in London, Ont., where he helped Team Pacific to a fourth-place finish. As a Western Hockey League rookie he scored 10 goals and added seven assists in 54 WHL games last season for the Bruins.

“I’ll definitely go in there with a bit of confidence -- I thought I played pretty well at the World Under-17s, so maybe that will give me a bit of help,” Howse said. “I’ll go in there and work as hard as I can, harder than the next guy beside me, and then I think I’ll have a good chance.”

Other WHL players invited to the Calgary camp are: Goaltender -- Nathan Lieuwen, Kootenay Ice (he played last season for the Westside Warriors, BCHL); Defencemen -- Jared Cowen, Spokane Chief; Stefan Elliot, Saskatoon Blades; Matt Mackenzie, Calgary Hitmen; and Brayden McNabb, Kootenay Ice; Forwards -- Carter Ashton, Lethbridge Hurricanes; Jimmy Bubnick, Kamloops Blazers; Landon Ferraro, Red Deer; Curtis Hamilton, Saskatoon Blades; James Henry, Vancouver Giants; Evander Kane, Vancouver Giants; and Brayden Schenn, Brandon Wheat Kings.

Thirty-five of the 40 invited players, including Howse, are eligible for the NHL draft in 2009.

“I just want to take everything step by step and if I have a good camp and play for the Under-18s and have a good tournament there, that would be a pretty good way to start my draft year,” Howse said. “I was a little shaky to start last season, just getting used to being away from home and making new friends. When I came back to Chilliwack after the Under-17s I had a lot of confidence and played a lot better. I felt I matured a bit more as a hockey player and it felt good.”

Bill Peters, coach of the Memorial Cup-champion Spokane Chiefs, will serve as head coach. Steve Spott (Kitchener, OHL) and Andre Tourigny (Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL) will be the assistant coaches.

Howse has been staying shape playing ball hockey at PGSS, where he attends Grade 10 classes. He also works out in the weight training gym with Spruce Kings conditioning coaches Mike Webber and Gibby Chasse and will soon be starting a regular routine of wind sprints and cardio training at Masich Place Stadium.

Goaltenders
Olivier Roy, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
Maxime Clermont, Gatineau (QMJHL)
Nathan Lieuwen, Westside (BCHL)
Bryce O'Hagan, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

Defencemen
Jared Cowen, Spokane (WHL)
Simon Després, Saint John (QMJHL)
Taylor Doherty, Kingston (OHL)
Stefan Elliot, Saskatoon (WHL)
Ryan Ellis, Windsor (OHL)
Gleason Fournier, Rimouski (QMJHL)
Hubert Labrie, Gatineau (QMJHL)
Matt Mackenzie, Calgary (WHL)
Brayden McNabb, Kootenay (WHL)
Dylan Olsen, Camrose (AJHL)
Mikael Tam, Quebec (QMJHL)
Bradley Yetman, Shawinigan (QMJHL)

Forwards
Andrew Agozzino, Niagara (OHL)
Steven Anthony, Saint John (QMJHL)
Carter Ashton, Lethbridge (WHL)
Matthew Brown, Moncton (QMJHL)
Jimmy Bubnick, Kamloops (WHL)
Casey Cizikas, Mississauga (OHL)
Matthew Duchene, Brampton (OHL)
Cody Eakin, Swift Current (WHL)
Landon Ferraro, Red Deer (WHL)
David Gilbert, Quebec (QMJHL)
Scott Glennie, Brandon (WHL)
Taylor Hall, Windsor (OHL)
Curtis Hamilton, Saskatoon (WHL)
James Henry, Vancouver (WHL)
Ryan Howse, Chilliwack (WHL)
Evander Kane, Vancouver (WHL)
Zack Kassian, Peterborough (OHL)
Michael Latta, Ottawa (OHL)
Louis Leblanc, Lac St-Louis, QC MAAA
Garrett Mitchell, Regina (WHL)
Ryan O'Reilly, Erie (OHL)
Travis Randell, Halifax (QMJHL)
Chase Schaber, Calgary (WHL)
Brayden Schenn, Brandon (WHL)


Highlighting the 40-player roster are four players – defenceman Ryan Ellis and forwards Matthew Duchene, Taylor Hall and Brayden Schenn – who helped Canada win gold at the 2008 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Kazan, Russia in April. It was Canada’s first victory at that event since 2003.

National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team Information
• 37 of the players who will be attending the selection camp have Program of Excellence experience
• Four players (Ellis, Duchene, Hall and Schenn) helped Canada win gold at the 2008 IIHF World Under-18 Men’s Championship in Russia in April
• 37 players competed in the 2008 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in London, ON
• Nine players won gold with Team Ontario at the 2008 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
• 13 players competed at the 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, YT
• 3 players will be taking part in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence for the first time (Eakin, Hamilton and Latta)

NHL Entry Draft breakdown

• 37 players are eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft
• 3 players are eligible for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

Players will arrive in Calgary on August 1st, with ice sessions beginning on August 2nd. Players selected for the team, along with team staff, will depart Calgary for Europe on August 6th.

The National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team is one of two U18 teams run by Hockey Canada on an annual basis. Canada won gold at the 2008 IIHF World Under-18 Men’s Championship in April. The Under-18 program is the second step of Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, which also includes the Under-17 regional and provincial programs and the National Junior Team.