2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup

Daily Dose of the Dub: three WHL training camps dates known; Schwenninger named to Swiss U18 team

Written by Brandon Rivers on

Training camp dates revealed for some teams:

We are just 18 days from the start of the earliest WHL training camp that we are aware of so far. Portland leads the way with their camp at the Moda Center, beginning on Tuesday, August 21st.

So far just two others are known to us, though we should be finding out the other 19 very soon.

Portland: Neely Cup takes place August 21-24. Four teams will compete.

 

Spokane: August 23-26. Three camp teams will play until the roster is trimmed and then the annual Red and White game will take place at 1pm PST on August 26.

 

Tri-City: Camp starts with 2002 and 2003-born players on August 23. Then on August 24, the players will be split into three teams: Red, White and Navy. Camp concludes on August 26 with the annual Blue and White game.

Switzerland U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup roster released

As expected, recently drafted and signed Portland Winterhawks center Dean Schwenninger was named to the roster. He was the only Swiss player taken in the recent CHL Import Draft by a WHL team, who was eligible to play.

Schwenninger being named brings the number of WHL players at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup to 21. There are 11 on Canada, four on Russia, three on the Czech Republic, two on the USA and one on Switzerland. Finland, Slovakia and Sweden are the only teams without a WHL player.

BC U16 provincial camp finishes

-The final day of games at BC Hockey’s U16 provincial camp took place today. The 2003-born players selected were split into three teams. Team BC Blue and Team BC Yellow dueled in the first game of the day with the winner taking on Team BC White in the final.

Team BC Blue beat Team BC Yellow 3-1, setting up a final with the only undefeated team at the camp, Team BC White.

Team BC White ended up edging Blue for a 2-1 win and bragging rights at the winners at the camp, going 7-0.

White was led by Kamloops Blazers drafted and signed forward Logan Stankoven’s seven points and Spokane Chiefs drafted and signed defenseman’s five points.

The next two highest scoring players at the camp were Stankoven’s fellow Kamloops drafted and signed forward Matthew Seminoff (four points) and Calgary Hitmen drafted forward Zach Funk (four points).

Now that the provincial camp is over, the 60 players will be evaluated further during their club seasons before a number of them will be brought back in December for December Preparation Camp. From that camp, 20 players will be chosen to represent Team BC at the Canada Winter Games February 16-22 in Red Deer.

Links and notes:

-Another episode of Top Shelf with the Seattle Thunderbirds Ian Henry is out.

-Former Saskatoon Blade and Brandon Wheat King Braylon Shmyr has gone the ECHL route, signing with the Allen Americans. Shmyr had 88 points with the Blades last year as an overage player.

-Former Kamloops Blazers forward Cole Ully and former Brandon Wheat Kings forward Tim McGauley both signed with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. The Eagles are the AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. McGauley played last year in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays. Ully also played in the ECHL in 2017-18, for the Idaho Steelheads.

-Yet another reason to watch the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this year. We could end up seeing these rules be adopted in the WHL.

-Former Brandon Wheat Kings player Jordan Hale, was arrested on drug trafficking charges.