Team Alberta U18 Female Shortlist Announced In Preperation For The 2015 Canada Winter Games

Team Alberta announced on Thursday the 30 athletes from the U18 Female Team Alberta Summer Camp that have been short listed for evaluation in preparation for the 2015 Canada Winter Games that will take place in Prince George, BC, February 13 - March 1, 2015.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TEAM ALBERTA U18 FEMALE SHORT LISTED ROSTER

The selection process started with a Spring Selection Camp where 83 athletes competed for one of 47 spots at the Team Alberta Summer Camp. Following the Summer Camp, the coaching staff faced some extremely difficult decisions to narrow the field down to the 30 players.

“Our Summer Camp was really competitive, you could tell the athletes were excited about the opportunity to represent their province on the national stage,” said Michael Kraichy, manager of Team Alberta. “Getting the list down to 30 players was a difficult task for our staff and we’re eager to watch them play with club teams to put together a great Team Alberta squad.”

The shortlisted players will be scouted with their club teams. The short listed players will then compete at a tournament against the University of Alberta Pandas and Bantam AAA male teams September 26-28 in Edmonton, Alberta.

Following the tournament, Team Alberta will name the 20 players that will compete at the 2015 Canada Winter Games.

The Winter Games bring together the top U18 female players from across Canada. Teams participating include a combination of provincial and regional teams: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, two teams from Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

At the 2011 Canada Winter Games, Team Alberta won the Gold Medal, beating Team Ontario Red by a score of 3-2 after going undefeated throughout the tournament.

U18 Female is the final stage of the Team Alberta Female Program and one of the initial stages Hockey Canada uses to help identify players for the National Program.

The 2014 Hockey Alberta Foundation Golf Classic, presented by ATB Investor Services, wrapped up Tuesday at the Stewart Creek Golf Club in Canmore, Alberta. The tournament raised over $60,000 for the Hockey Alberta Foundation’s Every Kid Every Community (EKEC) Fund through event sponsorship, a live auction and a silent auction.

The EKEC Fund is designed to direct funds towards strategies that will engage communities and help them provide better access to kids who are not currently registered in hockey in Alberta. Hockey Alberta identified the need to support existing hockey programs as well as the creation of diverse hockey programs within the province, establishing the program in 2010, with the goal of making hockey accessible to all kids in Alberta. Since its introduction, the EKEC program has award grants to 18 communities for a total of $68,000 to various programs across the province.

Jordan Eberle (Edmonton Oilers), Mark Giordano (Calgary Flames), Jay Bouwmeester (St. Louis Blues), Thomas Hickey (New York Islanders), Zach Boychuk (Carolina Hurricanes), Adam Cracknell (Los Angeles Kings), Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg Jets Prospect), Morgan Klimchuk (Calgary Flames Prospect), Mike Commodore (Former NHLer), Rob Brown (Former NHLer), Jason Strudwick (Former NHLer), Perry Berezan (Former NHLer) and Lindsay Carson (Former NHLer) were among this year’s celebrity guests.

“The funds raised at this event amazes us year in and year out and serves to reinforce our belief in the EKEC Program,” said Scott Robinson, executive director of the Hockey Alberta Foundation. “We want to build onto this event and we’re constantly looking for ways to grow not only this event, but the program as a whole.”

This year’s Golf Classic also broadcasted live on the FAN960 featuring interviews with many of the celebrities in attendance.

"It was great to return to Alberta for a few days to be involved with Hockey Alberta and the Every Kid Every Community Program to help raise funds for the cause,” said Giordano. “The Flames and ATB Financial are both big supporters of hockey programs in the community so to be able to be here to represent both at this event was important to me.”

Prior to Golf Classic, the ATB Financial Classic partnered with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary (BGCC) for the EKEC ‘Rink to Links’ Event. The Rinks to Links brought 30 children from the BGCC to Canmore for a one-of-a-kind try hockey and golf event.

“We had a great group of kids from the Boys and Girls Club of Calgary and being able to spend time on the ice with those kids who may never have the opportunity or means to play hockey without programs like EKEC was worth the trip back,” added Giordano.

“Without the help of our many sponsors we wouldn’t be able to put on an event like this,” added Robinson. “Organizations like ATB Investor Services not only want to benefit children around Alberta but they also help us in putting on unforgettable experiences for everyone involved.”