Five Saskatchewan players invited to world juniors selection camp

Five Saskatchewan players will look to wear the maple leaf at this year’s IIHF World Juniors tournament.

Hockey Canada revealed the list of players who have received invites to the selection camp on Monday. It includes four Saskatoon products – defenceman Caden Price (Kelowna Rockets) and forwards Riley Heidt (Prince George Cougars), Berkly Catton (Spokane Chiefs), and Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw Warriors). Prince Albert’s Tanner Howe (Calgary Hitmen) has also been invited.

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Defenceman Tanner Molendyk, who hails from McBride, B.C., but currently plays for the Saskatoon Blades, also received an invite to selection camp.

The camp will take place from December 10-13, and the tournament runs from Boxing Day until January 5 in Ottawa.

“We are excited to announce the 32 players who have earned invitations to selection camp in Ottawa, and begin the road to our ultimate goal of winning a World Junior Championship gold medal on home ice,” U20 head scout Al Murray said.

“This is a talented group of young players that is determined to represent Canada with pride over the holidays, and we expect a highly competitive camp with several difficult decisions when determining our final roster.”

Saskatoon’s Berkly Catton has been invited to the Team Canada World Juniors selection camp. (Seattle Kraken/X)

Price has 31 points (six goals, 25 assists) in 23 games with the Rockets this season as the team’s assistant captain.

Heidt, who had 117 points in 66 games last season, has played 20 games for the Cougars this season, recording 11 goals and 23 assists as the team’s captain.

Catton, who is Spokane’s captain, has 43 points (13 goals, 30 assists) in 25 games.

Yager, the Warriors’ captain, has 11 goals and 19 assists in 21 games for Moose Jaw. He had two goals and three assists as a member of Team Canada in last year’s World Juniors.

Howe, who was the Regina Pats’ captain before he was traded to Calgary, has 15 points (nine goals, six assists) in 14 games.

980 CJME and 650 CKOM are once again airing all of Team Canada’s World Juniors games.