A huge honour for Swift Current Broncos defenceman Dillon Heatherington.
Hockey Canada made him one of 35 players invited to the Canada’s National Junior Team summer development camp, which will be held from August 4th to 10th in Brossard, Quebec and Lake Placid, New York.
"He's climbing up the draft charts," said Broncos Coach/GM Mark Lamb. "He's going to get drafted high. So the respect he's getting it just follows into this World Junior invite this summer. He flew by a lot of players that were on that list before."
The 6’4”, 196-pound product of Calgary, AB posted a career-high season recording four goals and 23 assists for 27 points in 71 games played with the Broncos last season.
He made waves when called to play for Canada at the U18 tournament this spring.
Mark Lamb Interview"Probably since Christmas on he's got a lot of respect he's been watched by a lot of scouts," Lamb said. "Going over and playing in the U18 and doing very well winning a gold medal... he is a winner. I had a lot of people tell me he was the best defenceman over there."
Canada’s roster was picked by new Hockey Canada head scout Ryan Jankowski with Hockey Canada senior director of hockey operations and national teams Scott Salmond and the newly-formed Program of Excellence management group including Sean Burke and Bruce Hamilton.
"What Heatherington brings is a whole different element that a lot of those otehr players don't bring," Lamb noted. "It's not just about being the best offensive player... you have to put together a team. He's an unbelievable defensive defenceman that can kill penalties. He can really skate and he's very aggressive."
Lamb also expects Heatherington's offence to really come along next season. He anticipaes Heatherington will at least be drafted in the 2nd round of Sunday's NHL Draft.
Canada’s National Junior Team will gather in Brossard at the Montreal Canadiens practice facility for two practices on August 4th and 5th before traveling to Lake Placid, NY for exhibition games against Finland (August 7th), Sweden (August 8th) and the United States (August 10th).
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