Chris Mast

Six WHLers invited to USA Hockey’s Select 17 camp

USA Hockey has updated their website, listing the rosters for the ten color-themed teams that will make up their Select 17 camp. The camp runs June 26th-July 2nd. Those that impress will be named to the roster for the U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup starting August sixth in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.

The Select 17 camp takes place in Amherst, NY.

Each of the ten teams have 16 skaters and two goalies. Of the 180, 2001-born players invited, many have been drafted or listed by WHL teams. Most of note though are the six players who have signed standard player agreements with WHL teams. Five of those players played in the WHL last year.

Last year the final roster of 22 players was announced at the last day of camp.

(I have bolded the WHL players in the list below. I have also listed them by the team they will be playing for).

The tournament can be viewed online courtesy of Hockey TV.

Dustin Wolf- goalie Team Red #1

-Wolf was drafted in the fifth round by the Everett Silvertips and came to play for them starting last year as a 16-year-old rookie. While backing up Carter Hart, the young goalie got his moments to shine. He got into 20 regular season and one playoff game. In the regular season he posted a 2.25 GAA and 0.928 save percentage.

Nicholas Kent- defense Team Royal #3

-Played for the Wenatchee Wild in 2017-18. Was drafted by the Saskatoon Blades in 2016 – 7th round #147th overall. Has committed to Quinnipiac University.

Aaron Randazzo- goalie Team Royal #31

-He won the Telus Cup with the Notre Dame Hounds. He was listed by the Portland Winterhawks. He has yet to commit to the college route.

Ryan Johnson- defense Team Black #4

-Johnson piled up 45 points in the T1EHL U16 for the Anaheim Jr Ducks – the most in the league. He was listed by the Portland Winterhawks and has yet to commit to the college route.

Lawson (photo-Andy Devlin)

Aidan Lawson- defense Team Black #7

-Lawson, who is from Providence, Utah signed with the Edmonton Oil Kings in September of 2017. He played two games with Edmonton in 2017-18 but spent most of the year with the Colorado Thunderbirds program.

Luke Mylymok- forward Team Black #18

-Mylymok was drafted by the Victoria Royals in 2016 – fourth round 81st overall. He won the Telus Cup with the Notre Dame Hounds. He has also committed to play for the University of Minnesota-Duluth starting in 2019.

Joshua Langford- goalie Team Black #31

-Langford was taken by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the fourth round – 85th overall in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft. Langford has committed to play for the University of Maine starting in 2019.

Grant Silianoff- forward Team Grey #15

-Drafted by the Saskatoon Blades in the ninth round – 179th overall. He was named to the US High School Second Team in 2017-18. Silianoff has committed to play for the University of Notre Dame in 2019.

Nick Perna- defense Team Kelly #4

-Perna was listed by the Winterhawks and then signed by them in December of 2017. Perna notched 11 points in 34 gams for the Dallas Stars U16 team last year.

Kaden Bohlsen- forward Team Kelly #12

-Bohlsen was drafted by the Regina Pats in the ninth round of the 2016 draft – 187th overall. Bohlsen played for the Des Moines Buccaneers in 2017-18 and has committed to the University of Minnesota starting in 2019.

Lukas Svekovsky- forward Team White #16

-Svejkovsky was drafted in the second round – 36th overall in 2016. He has yet to commit to an NCAA team. Svejkovsky played with Wenatchee of the BCHL in 2017-18, winning the Doyle Cup.

Hunter Campbell- forward Team White #17

-Campbell came up through the Sno Kings Bantam and Everett Silvertips 16U teams before being drafted by the Calgary Hitmen. Campbell played in 59 games as a 16-year-old, notching 11 points.

Ryan Robinson- forward Team Forest #12

-Robinson played for the Dallas Stars U16 team last year and had 42 points in 36 games. Robinson was drafted in the seventh round – 146th overall in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft. He has committed to play for Arizona State University starting in 2019.

Jackson Niedermayer- LW Team Forest #13

-Niedermayer is the son of NHL Hall-of-Famer Scott Niedermayer. The younger Niedermayer was drafted in the fifth round – 90th overall in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft by the Calgary Hitmen. He had 42 points in 34 games for the Anaheim Jr Ducks 16U team last year. He has not signed with an NCAA school or the Hitmen yet.

Jake Hale- forward Team Forest #19

-Hale was drafted in the 10th round – 206th overall by the Spokane Chiefs. He has committed to play for the University of Minnesota-Duluth starting in 2019.

Luke Reid- defense Team Gold #4

-Reid has committed to the University of North Dakota. He was drafted in the second round, 27th overall by the Victoria Royals in 2016. He is listed as from Warman, Saskatchewan but was invited to the USA’s camp. He played for Canada at the U17 Challenge.

Clay Hanus (Dayna Fjord)

Jeffrey Bertrand- forward Team Gold #10

-Bertrand was drafted by the Red Deer Rebels, but has committed to Penn State University. Red Deer took him in the 12th round in 2016.

Killian Klecker-Olsen- forward Team Gold #17

-Klecker-Olsen was drafted by the Kelowna Rockets in 2016-ninth round. He has yet to sign with the Rockets or an NCAA school.

Clay Hanus- defense Team Columbia #3

-Hanus was listed by the Portland Winterhawks and overcame an injury to join and make the Winterhawks out of camp. Hanus played in 56 games and had six assists. Hanus also got into one playoff game.

Luke Toporowski- LW Team Columbia #14

-Toporowski is the son of former WHLer Kerry Toporowski. He was taken eighth overall in the 2016 draft by the Spokane Chiefs and put up 23 points in 61 games as a rookie last year. Toporowski had an overtime winner in the playoffs and four points overall in seven games.

-All stats were courtesy of eliteprospects.com

There could be more players invited that are on protected lists throughout the WHL, but we’ve posted what information we could gather.