Hockey Saskatchewan held its first selection camp for next year's Team Sask, which will compete at the WHL Cup.
The province's top 2010-born players were split into north and south groups for three evaluation days. Joel Houseman of Hockey Saskatchewan stated that 157 athletes competed in Lumsden for the South zone, and 157 were in Aberdeen and represented the North.
The South camp featured Regina Pat Canadiens forward Maddox Schultz, who is expected to go first or second in this spring's WHL draft. Schultz was granted age-enhancement status this season, and although he is a second-year U15 player, he is playing up a division in U18 AAA. Schultz is currently leading the Saskatchewan U18 AAA league in scoring.
Other notable skaters expected to be high WHL picks next spring who were out in Lumsden were Regina's Ryker Doka, who plays with Delta Hockey Academy's U15 prep team, and Milestones Riley Brown, who plays for the Northern Alberta Extreme U15 prep team. In goal, Regina's Ben Meyer, who plays for the Notre Dame Hounds U15 prep team, should be one of the tenders who push for one of only two spots on the final squad.
Houseman pointed out that over 300 athletes have tried out for the program over the last few years. He also mentioned how it's an excellent opportunity for all players in the province to try out for the high-performance program, a fantastic way for the athletes to meet new players from around the region, and an excellent way for them to have fun.
Hockey Saskatchewan will select eighty athletes from each camp this weekend and hold the next tryout camp December 28-30 in Regina. After that, the top eighty will gather February 14-16 in Balgonie for one last tournament-style tryout. The final stage has thirty players chosen to work through the summer and fall before the final team is selected.
The WHL Cup will be held in Red Deer in October 2025.
