Steinbach to host top-40 Hockey Manitoba camp

The best U16 hockey players in the province were in action this week, as Hockey Manitoba hosts their annual Program of Excellence camps.

The Program of Excellence aims to identify top hockey players and set them up for success as they move forward in their elite hockey careers.

The 117-player roster for the boys spring selection camp will be paired down to a top-40 camp, which will be hosted in Steinbach May 8-11 at the Southeast Event Centre.

”The Boys U16 Program of Excellence is the first step in the Hockey Canada Male Program of Excellence,” a release announcing the roster on the Hockey Manitoba website reads.

“Athletes who participate in the U16 POE begin to receive the exposure to skills and concepts that are vital for success at the Major Junior, NCAA, USport and National levels. Many athletes from the U16 Program of Excellence go on to success with the U17, U18 and World Junior Teams as a part of the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence.”

The spring selection camp was hosted at the Hockey for all Centre in Winnipeg April 11-13, with players divided into eight teams to play games against each other. The Western Hockey League will also be making a presentation. Scouts from many WHL teams were in attendance to scout potential players, as many will hear their name selected during the 2025 WHL’s bantam draft, which is set for May 7.

The Regina Pats have the top pick after the draft lottery was held April 10. The region could have back-to-back first round picks, with Crosby Mateychuk projected to go early in the process. Last year both Asher Gingras and Graeme Pickering were taken in the first round.

Dauphin’s Devin Himpe is in his first year as Team Manitoba’s U16 head coach. Himpe is the lead instructor for the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Development and and assistant with the University of Manitoba.

Over 200 players were at the female U16 spring evaluation Program of Excellence tournament, which was hosted at the same time as the boys event.

“The Girls U16 Program of Excellence has been redesigned as a development focused program for Female Under-16 athletes in Manitoba,” the news release alongside the rosters reads.

“The goal of the program is to teach our up-and-coming female athletes the skills, concepts and tactics specific to the Women’s U18 Program of Excellence, ensuring that these athletes are given the proper development time in order to move to the U18 level and beyond.”

A dozen teams were in action, with 13 players players from the Eastman Selects program and more from other area teams.

Eastman Boys PoE Spring Selection Camp

Skyler Birss (F)

Beckham Broesky (F)

Carson Flock (F)

Brayden Hummerston (F)

Jevon Peters (F)

Liam Plett (F)

Zac Warren (F)

Crosby Mateychuk (D)

Will Mateychuk (D)

Eric Verrier (D)

Rylan Peters (G)

Eastman Girls PoE Spring Selection Camp

Isabelle Anderson (F) AAA Selects

Bryelle Muntain (F) AAA Selects

Sasha Lambert (F) AAA Selects

Miikah Ouellet (F) AAA Selects

Émilie Carrière (F) AAA Selects

Samantha Dallas (F) AAA Selects

Summer Wray (F) AAA Selects

Peyton Sheppard (F) AAA Selects

Callie Coulombe (D) AAA Selects

Avi Tindall (D) AAA Selects

Lilly Leefe (D) AAA Selects

Evangeline Golding (G) AAA Selects

Caitlyn Anderson (G) AAA Selects

Amelie Paseshnik (D) Sharks AA

Hudsen Stasynec (F) Lorette Comets

Olivia Yuill (F) Ile des Chenes Elks

Mikaela Hayward (G) Ile Des Chenes Elks