Next year – and especially two years from now – will be a different story. But for now, the Warriors will let some of their older compatriots from the league carry the load.
Hockey Canada announced Tuesday that 15 players from the Western Hockey League had been invited to the camp, which will run virtually during the weekend of July 27-31.
The invitees include seven forwards, five defenceman and three goaltenders.
Leading the way is reigning WHL player of the year Adam Beckman of the Spokane Chiefs, who put up 48 goals and 107 points in the COVID-19 shortened campaign. The Minnesota Wild draft pick will be joined five other future NHLers in defencemen Bowen Byram (WHL Vancouver, NHL Colorado) and Matthew Robertson (WHL Edmonton, NHL Rangers) alongside forwards Dylan Cozens (Lethbridge, Buffalo) and Peyton Krebs (WHL Winnipeg, NHL Vegas).
Vegas Golden Knights prospect and Kelowna Rockets defenceman Kaedan Korczak – the older brother of Warriors leading scorer Ryder Korczak – was also among the NHL draftees selected.
Eight players selected for the camp are currently eligible for the 2021 NHL Draft.
The Warriors will have a familiar face around the team, though, as general manager Alan Millar returns as part of the Hockey Canada management group. Ottawa 67’s head coach Andre Tourigny will serve as the team’s head coach.
Little information has been given a to how the virtual camp will run, but could follow a similar pattern to the Program of Excellence goaltending camp, which featured sessions on player development, mental and physical performance, planning for short-term competition, environments for success and more.
The 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship is set to be played in Edmonton and Red Deer beginning Boxing Day and running through Jan. 5.
