Coming off a strong rookie season with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Connor Schmidt will get an opportunity to test himself against the country’s best.
The 17-year-old defenceman is one of 41 players invited to Hockey Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Selection Camp for the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.
“This is a great opportunity for Connor to play against some high-level competition from his age group and develop going into next season,” Warriors general manager Jason Ripplinger said.
Schmidt suited up in 41 games during his 16-year-old season with the Warriors, finishing with three goals and eight points.
He also added a goal in nine playoff games as he helped the Warriors capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
Schmidt represented Canada at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, picking up one assist in seven games with Canada Red.
The selection camp runs from July 27-30 at WinSport Event Centre in Calgary.
The 2024 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup will be hosted in Edmonton this year with Canada opening the tournament’s preliminary round against Switzerland on Monday, Aug. 5.
The Canadians take on Slovakia on Tuesday, Aug. 6 and finish the round robin against Sweden on Wednesday, Aug. 7.