Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League is proud to announce 116 WHL players will attend NHL rookie and training camps in September. All players are eligible to return to the WHL for the 2018-19 season.

Of the 116 players attending, 73 were selected in the NHL Draft, including Spokane Chiefs defenceman Ty Smith, who was selected 17th overall by the New Jersey Devils at the 2018 NHL Draft. Seven of the players attending NHL rookie and training camps were signed directly by NHL clubs, including Lethbridge Hurricanes captain Jordy Bellerive. Six other players are currently free agents heading into their 20-year-old season with their respective WHL club. The remaining 30 players were provided NHL camp invites.

All 22 WHL teams are represented, with the Portland Winterhawks leading the charge with 10 players at NHL camps, including four players selected in the first round of the NHL Draft: Cody Glass (Vegas Golden Knights), Kieffer Bellows (New York Islanders), Dennis Cholowski (Detroit Red Wings), and Henri Jokiharju (Chicago Blackhawks).

The Regina Pats follow closely with eight players attending NHL Camps while the Everett Silvertips, Spokane Chiefs, Swift Current Broncos, and Tri-City Americans each boast seven players attending NHL camps respectively.

Overall, the East Division is sending the most players out of any WHL division, with 35 players off to NHL camps. The U.S. Division will see 34 players attend NHL camps with the Central Division (26) and B.C. Division (21) close behind.

Overall, 57 forwards, 45 defencemen and 14 goaltenders from across the WHL will attend NHL camps in 2018.

The following is a list of Manitoba-born WHL players, sorted alphabetical by team, who will attend NHL training camps:

WHL Team	Pos	First Name	Last Name	Hometown	NHL Team
Brandon	F	Ty	Lewis	Brandon	Colorado Avalance
Brandon	F	Stelio	Mattheos	Winnipeg	Carolina Hurricans
Calgary	F	Riley	Stotts	Winnipeg	Toronto Maple Leafs
Everett	F	Connor	Dewar	The Pas	Minnesota Wild
Kamloops	F	Jermaine	Loewen	Arborg	Dallas Stars
Kamloops	D	Montana	Onyebuchi	Dugald	Tampa Bay Lightning
Kootenay	F	Brett	Davis	Oakville	Dallas Stars
Kootenay	G	Duncan	McGovern	Winnipeg	Winnipeg Jets
Lethbridge	D	Calen	Addison	Brandon	Pittsburg Penguins
Moose Jaw	D	Josh	Brook	Roblin	Montreal Canadiens
Moose Jaw	F	Brett	Howden	Oakbank	New York Rangers
Moose Jaw	D	Jett	Woo	Winnipeg	Vancouver Canucks
Portland	F	Cody	Glass	Winnipeg	Las Vegas Golden Knights
Red Deer	D	Dawson	Barteaux	Foxwarren	Dallas Stars
Regina	F	Nick	Henry	Portage la Prairie	Colorado Avalance
Regina	G	Max	Paddock	Brandon	San Jose Sharks
Swift Current	G	Joel	Hofer	Winnipeg	St. Louis Blues
Tri-City	F	Morgan	Geekie	Strathclair	Carolina Hurricans
Victoria	F	Tanner	Kaspick	Brandon	St. Louis Blues

 

About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 350 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.