It was the summer solstice, but still a day for thoughts of the ice sport for four Victoria Royals invited to Hockey sa国际传媒 selection camps.
Royals forward Tyler Soy was rewarded for his breakout 46-goal season and is among 41 players 鈥� 15 from the WHL 鈥� headed to the national junior team development camp July 30-Aug. 2 in Toronto. The 2017 world junior championship will take place over the Christmas period in Toronto and Montreal.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge honour and great to be recognized, not to mention a motivater and confidence booster,鈥� said Soy, the WHL鈥檚 most sportsmanlike player.
鈥淚鈥檓 definitely going to be motivated because they [selectors] will be watching the first half of the season very closely.鈥�
But a club role as a sniper may not translate to what鈥檚 needed from the Cloverdale product at the national-team level.
鈥淩oles change on a national team,鈥� said Soy, who has played on the Canadian U-18 squad. 鈥淚 am going to need a strong 200-foot game.鈥�
Meanwhile, six-foot-one defenceman Scott Walford, who had a steady rookie WHL season in Victoria, is among 44 players to receive an invite to the national U-18 camp July 26-Aug. 2 in Calgary for the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament held annually in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Receiving invites for the Canadian U-17 development camp July 26-Aug. 1 in Calgary are Royals-signed prospect forwards Eric Florchuk, Victoria鈥檚 first pick in the 2015 bantam draft, and Kaid Oliver. The 2016 World U-17 Hockey Challenge will take place Oct. 30-Nov. 5 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
