Local Hockey Players Competing for Roster Spot at Alliance Under-17 Camp

This weekend roughly a dozen Chatham-Kent Cyclones hockey players will be competing for a roster spot with Team Ontario’s Under-17 team in Woodstock. From the Woodstock camp, 10 players who participated with Alliance ‘AAA’ teams will be selected to attend the Ontario Provincial camp this summer where Canadian officials will get a stronger idea of who will compete on their roster at the 2011 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge.

For most of these players, the camp will also serve as their last opportunity to showcase their skills in front of OHL scouts prior to the 2011 OHL priority draft in May.

Last year, goaltender Hunter Johnson advanced from the Woodstock Alliance Under 17 camp as an alternate. Johnson played this season with the Chatham-Kent Cyclones major midget team before joining the Chatham Maroons during the playoffs.

This year, the majority of players attending the camp from Chatham-Kent will come from the Chatham-Kent Cyclones Minor Midget team, with two travelling from the Major Midget team who played on that squad as underage players.

Past players who have advanced on to participate with the Ontario Under 17 team include Chris Pronger, Steven Stamkos, Jeff Carter, Eric Lindros, Corey Perry, Mike Richards, and Jason Spezza, among other former and current NHLers.

Mini-camp will be held today (Friday), after which a first wave of cuts will be made, followed by a main camp and selections Saturday and Sunday.