Crosby Mateychuk earns invite to Hockey Canada top-80 camp

Crosby Mateychuk will be battling to wear the Maple Leaf for Team Canada.

Mateychuk was one of 80 players to be invited to Hockey Canada’s U17 development camp, which is set to take place July 17-21 in Oakville, Ont.

“We are excited to unveil the top Canadian under-17 players who have earned invitations to our development camp this week, and to introduce these young players to Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence,” PoE general manager Alan Millar said in a Hockey Canada news release.

“This is a very talented and exciting group that will be surrounded by world-class coaching and support staffs, and we look forward to introducing them to our program, setting the expectations for the season and preparing for the U17 World Challenge later this year.”

Despite being born in 2010, Mateychuk was one of the best defensemen in the U18 AAA hockey league this season. The Dominion City product suited up in 37 games for the Eastman Selects, scoring 59 points as a defenseman. His time with the program was shortened by an extended stint in the Western Hockey League with the Vancouver Giants.

Winnipeg’s Mateo Ferreira, St Claude’s Cole Landreville, Brandon’s Reid Nicol, and Waywayseecappo’s Athens Shingoose make up the other Manitobans invited to the camp.

The development camp is a key stop as Canada prepares to name their rosters for the upcoming U17 World Challenge, which is also set to take place in Oakville this November.