2013 TEAM WEST COACHES & INVITES NAMED

Press Release

REGINA, SK - Hockey Manitoba and Saskatchewan Hockey Association are pleased to announce the coaching staff and summer camp invites for Under-17 Team West who'll compete in the 2013 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge hosted in Victoriaville/Drummondville, Quebec from December 29 – January 4, 2013.

Head Coach: Don MacGillivray, 47, will return to the Team West coaching staff for the second consecutive year after being assistant coach with Team West at the 2012 World Under-17 Challenge in Windsor, ON. MacGillivray has been the Head Coach/General Manager of the Winnipeg Blues (MJHL) for the past 4 seasons and has been named MJHL coach of the year in 2011, 2005 and 1995. Don also has previous experience in the POE from 2006-07 when he was named head coach of Team Manitoba to participate in the 2007 Canada Winter Games. However, upon accepting the head coaching position with the University of Manitoba Men's program he was forced to step down from the team due to a conflict of CIS playoffs and the Canada Winter Games schedule.

Assistant Coach: Dwayne Gylywoychuk, 39, will make his first appearance as a coach but was a player for Team West back in 1989. A long-serving Brandon player from 1989-1994, Gylywoychuk has been an assistant coach with the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) for the past 9 seasons including highlights such as the WHL Championship Final in 2005 and in the 2010 Memorial Cup Final. Gylywoychuk has previously been involved with Hockey Manitoba as guest speaker during coach development events and also as a Program of Excellence group leader and evaluator.

Assistant Coach: Malcolm Cameron, 43, will also make his first appearance with Team West. Cameron is entering into his second season as an assistant coach of the Regina Pats (WHL), he previously has coached in the ECHL for 10 years and was an assistant coach with the Acadia University Axemen (CIS) from 1998-2000. Cameron brings previous Program of Excellence experience from his involvement with U-17 Team Atlantic.

A total of sixty-eight players 1996 born players have been invited to the Team West Summer Camp held August 9-13, 2012 in Wilcox, SK. Players have been invited based on previous performances within each province's Under-16 Program of Excellence in addition with feedback from a scouting network utilized throughout the 2011/12 season. These players will undergo a five-day camp consisting of practices, games, fitness testing and interviews later followed by evaluations with their 2012/13 club teams with final selections being announced in early November. Regional Under-17 programs across the country are currently exploring changes to enhance programming and meet the goals to develop top athletes for Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence (National Teams). For Team West, the decision to host a combined camp is the first step of the program's refresh to a "gold standard." Such changes pertaining to Team West will be reviewed by a management committee with the four key stakeholders of the program; Hockey Manitoba, Saskatchewan Hockey Association, Western Hockey League, and Hockey Canada.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)