Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Denton Mateychuk has received an invitation to attend Hockey Canada’s Men’s Under-18 Team summer development Camp.

From Dominion City, Man., Mateychuk will be entering his second season with the Warriors this fall.  During the 2021 Subway WHL Hub in Regina, he had two goals, seven assists, and nine points in 16 games before leaving the team to join Hockey Canada for the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship where he was part of Canada’s gold medal-winning team.

Mateychuk, who turns 17 on July 12th, was selected to participate in the 2020 World U-17 Hockey Challenge but could not compete due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  He captured a bronze medal with Canada at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games, he had one goal and two points in four games.

Warriors goalie coach Matt Weninger will be joining Mateychuk at the camp.  Weninger was part of Canada’s staff at the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championships.

Hockey Canada’s Under-18 summer development camp will be held in Calgary from July 25 to August 4.  Over the 11-day camp, the players will be split into two teams and participate in practices and intrasquad games.  The camp will also feature combined practices and intrasquad games with Canada’s National Junio Team on August 2nd and 3rd.

In total, 45 players earned invitations including four goaltenders, 15 defencemen, and 26 forwards.  Mateychuk is one of 17 players from the WHL attending the camp and is one of two players who took part in the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship.

“This stage of our Summer Showcase is about bringing together the top under-18 players in Canada to work and learn from an elite-level coaching staff, giving them the necessary skills for their hockey development to grow and succeed,” said Alan Millar, Director of Player Personnel for Hockey Canada. “We have an opportunity to connect with the players through on- and off-ice sessions to give them the tools that will only enhance their skill set as they advance through our program and prepare for the upcoming season.”

The summer camp is typically used to evaluate and select Canada’s roster for the Hlinka – Gretzky Cup, however, Canada has elected to not participate in this year’s event due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Mateychuk will return to Moose Jaw in the fall where he will prepare for the 2021 – 2022 WHL regular season.  The Warriors open the season on October 1st at Mosaic Place when they take on the Saskatoon Blades.