Hockey Canada has released the list of players participating in the National U-18 Women’s Strength and Conditioning Camp in Hamilton, Ontario May 7-11. On this list were six players from Manitoba:

Kristen Campbell – Goalie
Christian Higham – Forward
Melissa Hunt – Defense
Ryleigh Houston – Forward
Kate Friesen – Defense
Sheridan Oswald – Forward

Hockey Manitoba would like to congratulate all of the players chosen to participate in this camp and wish them luck as they represent Manitoba on the national stage. All six of these players have been granted an exemption allowing them to participate in the National Camp as the dates conflict with Hockey Manitoba’s POE Top-40 camp on that same weekend.

With these six players no longer participating in the Top-40 weekend we are able to include an additional six players in order to fill out our camp roster and provide these players with an opportunity to continue in the POE stream. The Top-40 list also includes three players that were injured at the time of the Manitoba Games, but have been included based on their performance throughout the regular season on their respective teams.

The POE TOP-40 Camp is integral in determining the short list of skill and talent for Team Manitoba and also significant in team building, developing off-ice behavior and estimating individual character and leadership qualities.

U-18 Team Manitoba will compete at the 2015 Canada Games (Female Hockey) held February 14 – 20, 2015 in Prince George, BC. Following the POE TOP-40 Camp a short list of approximately 27 players will be invited to a skills & conditioning camp in July and a pre-season prep camp in August. Following the summer camps another short list will be invited to an exhibition roster that will compete at the 2014 Mandi Schwartz Challenge held September 18-21 in Regina, SK. The U-18 TOP-40 Camp is hosted simultaneously with the U-16 TOP-40 Camp, both in Portage la Prairie, May 8-13, 2014.

For more information about the Hockey Manitoba Program of Excellence please visit www.hockeymanitoba.ca/players/poe. Hockey Manitoba is pleased to recognize Canad Inns, Reebok-CCM Hockey, and the Western Hockey League as Official Partners of the Program of Excellence, along with Gatorade as the Official Sport Drink of Hockey Manitoba.