Photo credit: Garrett James Photography
Hockey Canada announced rosters for several camps this summer, including the Under-18 Selection Camp and the Under-17 Development Camp, both of which feature BCHL players.
The U18 Selection Camp roster was announced on June 16 and includes Penticton Vees forward Bradly Nadeau and Victoria Grizzlies forward Matthew Wood.
Nadeau scored 20 goals and added 26 assists for 46 points in 49 games during his rookie campaign, playing alongside his older brother Josh. He was even more productive in the postseason, finishing the Vees championship run with 24 points in 17 games, including a hat trick in the clinching game of the Fred Page Cup Final. Nadeau also represented Canada at the the Capital City Challenge Under-17 tournament in November where he had a goal and three assists in five games.
Wood finished as the BCHL’s leading scorer with 85 points in 46 games. At the end of the season, he was awarded the league’s Rookie of the Year Award, was named a finalist for Most Valuable Player and was named a First-Team All-Star and a member of the All-Rookie Team. Wood represented Canada at the Under-18 tournament in April where he scored two goals in four games. He also played in the Capital City Challenge along with Nadeau and ended up tied for the fourth-most points in the tournament with seven in five contests.
The U17 camp was announced on June 9 and will feature Coquitlam Express forward Diego Buttazzoni, as well as incoming Penticton Vees forward Hiroki Gosic and incoming Vees defenceman Gabriel Guilbault.
Buttazzoni played for Burnaby Winter Club U18 Prep last year, finishing second in team scoring with 54 points in 32 games. He also played several BCHL games as an affiliate with both the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and the Express, including all seven of Coquitlam’s playoff games. He registered six points in his 11 games last year, including his first BCHL goal.
Gosic suited up for St. George’s School U18 Prep in 2021-22 and led the team with 29 goals and 51 points. He played one game as an affiliate for the Langley Rivermen.
Guilbault was a teammate of Buttazzoni’s at Burnaby Winter Club. He was the team’s second-highest scoring defenceman with 20 points in 30 contests.
The U18 camp takes place from July 20 to 23 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alta. The 88 players at camp will compete to be a part of Canada’s roster for the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Red Deer, which goes from July 31 to Aug. 6.
The U17 camp is scheduled for July 10 to 16, also in Calgary.
