Windsor Spitfires celebrate their Memorial Cup championship last spring after defeating the Kelowna Rockets 4-1 in Rimouski Que. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)The good times continue to roll for the Windsor Spitfires.
The defending Memorial Cup-champion Spitfires were front and centre on Wednesday, when Hockey Canada’s head scout Al Murray revealed his list of 36 invited players for the under-20 junior team selection camp.
The Spitfires will send four players to the five-day gathering in Regina, Dec. 12-16: forwards Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique and Greg Nemisz and defenceman Ryan Ellis.
The camp will determine which 22 players will represent Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship later this month.
No other junior club had more than two players make the list.
The Spitfires have picked up where they left off last spring, when they celebrated a national championship in Rimouski. They are again the top-ranked junior team with an incredible 24-3-3 record.
Hall, Henrique and Nemisz are first, third and fourth, respectively, in the Ontario Hockey League scoring race. Hall has scored 23 times and has a whopping 53 points in 30 games. Henrique leads the league with 25 goals in 28 games. Nemisz has 22 goals and 43 points in 30 games.
Ellis, a Nashville Predators prospect who is an offensive dynamo with a big-time shot, is one of seven returning players who will suit up for Canada. The others are Patrice Cormier (Rimouski), Stefan Della Rovere (Barrie), Jordan Eberle (Regina), Cody Hodgson (Brampton), Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis Blues) and Colten Teubert (Regina).
Hodgson and Pietrangelo were included on the invite list but will only attend if the Blues have a healthy blue line and Hodgson can work himself back into game shape before the camp commences in 10 days.
Pietrangelo made the Blues lineup out of training camp but has only played in nine games and hasn’t played since Nov. 19. For now, he will continue to hang in St. Louis and practice with the Blues until the Canadian junior selection camp.
Hodgson is another story. After a strong world junior for Canada a year ago, an excellent finish to his season with Brampton and a surprise showing with the Manitoba Moose in the Calder Cup playoffs, he injured his back during an off-season training session last July.
But despite the ailment, Hodgson was pressed into action for six pre-season games for the Vancouver Canucks. When he was cut from Canucks camp and returned home in late September, he went to see a specialist in Cleveland, and it was determined he had nerve damage near his spine, which was the cause of the uncomfortable shooting pain.
Hodgson is back skating and recently was given clearance for body contact, but there has been no official timeline as to when he will return to action.
"I've been in regular communication with the Battalion and [Brampton coach] Stan Butler over the past month, and our understanding is that Cody is coming along and that he's practising, and practising with contact as well," Hockey Canada senior director Brad Pascall said.
"Our understanding is that things are progressing and moving along. The anticipation from our side of things, from our hockey department and from our team operations, is that Cody should be ready to participate at camp and at the world junior championships."
Of the 36 players, 32 juniors have been drafted by NHL teams. Hall, Plymouth Whalers forward Tyler Seguin, Sudbury Wolves forward John McFarland and Moncton Wildcats defenceman Brandon Gormley are eligible for the 2010 NHL entry draft.
Of the drafted players, the Los Angeles Kings had the most prospects invited: goalie Martin Jones of the Calgary Hitmen; defencemen Nicholas Deslauriers of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies; Colten Teubert of the Regina Pats; WHL leading scorer Brandon Kozun, also of the Hitmen; and Brandon Wheat Kings centre Brandon Schenn.
The Edmonton Oilers have three prospects attending the selection camp in goalie Olivier Roy (Cape Breton), Philippe Cornet (Rouyn-Noranda) and Eberle.
