For several young talented hockey players, the road to the National Hockey League begins in Jasper this week.
Numerous young players hoping to eventually earn a roster spot with the Edmonton Oilers will take the first step as they meet for the teams’ annual development camp in Jasper on July 3.
The camp will be open to the public, with the players taking the ice each day at 10 a.m.
The development camp will take place at Jasper Arena.
During the camp, Oilers’ head coach Dallas Eakins will lead 30 players through practices, drills and dry land training.
On July 4, local golfers can head to the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge for a chance to play with the Oilers that day for a fee of $175.
The weekend will culminate in the Billy Moores Cup, an inter-squad game, set for July 7 at 7 p.m.
Proceeds from that game, which is being organized by Greg Van Tighem, will go toward the MS Society of Canada. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth under 12 and are available at Avalanche Spirits and Source for Sports.
The players will include draft picks from previous years, as well as the Oilers six picks from the 2014 NHL draft on June 27.
Leon Draisaitl, drafted third overall in the first round, will be one of the most notable players on the ice.
Draisaiti,18, who comes from the Prince Alberta Raiders, appeared in 64 Western Hockey League games in 2013-14, posting a career high in both goals and assists (38-67-105), while recording 24 penalty minutes. In four playoff games, he tallied three points (1G, 2A) and four penalty minutes.
Draisaitl also finished tied for fourth in WHL scoring with 105 points and ranked third in assists (67). He also participated in the 2014 Canadian Hockey League Top Prospects Game.
Another prospective Oiler to watch will be Swedish prospect William Lagesson, who was chosen 91st overall in the fourth round.
Lagesson, 18, spent the 2013-14 season with Forlunda Jr., recording a career high 20 points (8G, 12A), 30 penalty minutes and a plus 27 rating in 44 games.
The native of Goteborg, Sweden has represented his country several times internationally, most recently at the 2013 Under-18 World Junior Hockey Championship and the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
Zach Nagelvoort, selected 111th overall in the fourth round, may also be donning orange and blue this season.
Nagelvoort, 20, spent last season with the University of Michigan appearing in 24 games with a 11-9-3 record, posting a 2.20 goals against average, a .929 save percentage and one shutout as a freshman.
The Holland, Michigan native set a school record for most saves in a game, making 63 saves versus Penn State in the first round of the Big Ten tournament on March 20.
Other top picks hoping to impress the NHL brass are Vernon Viper Liam Coughlin, chosen 130th overall in the fifth round, Omaha Lancer Tyler Vesel, who was chosen 153rd overall in the sixth round, and Val d’Or Foreurs goaltender Keven Bouchard, who was the 183rd pick in the seventh round.
In his last season with the Val d’Or Foreurs, Bouchard, 18, posted a 17-6-1 record in 27 games. The six-foot-three, 205-pound goaltender, registered a 2.95 goals against average, .887 save percentage and two shutouts.
Also expected to be in attendance are Oilers’ GM Craig MacTavish, head scout Stu MacGregor, Oklahoma City Barons head coach Todd Nelson, Memorial Cup champion Mitch Moroz; Darnell Nurse, the seventh overall pick in 2013; Dylan Simpson, whose dad, Craig Simpson, played for the Oilers and now works for Hockey Night in Canada; and Bogdan Yakimov, a third round pick in the 2013 draft, as well as several other drafted players from previous years.
This isn’t the first time the organization has come to Jasper for training.
In 2011, the team came for a retreat ahead of the regular season, attracting hundreds of Jasperites to the arena to snag autographs and watch as the NHL stars practised their on-ice drills.
They were also here in 2008 for a team-building trip to prepare for the 2008-09 season.
Erin Christie
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