The Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) are thrilled to announce 2003-born defenceman Corson Ceulemans has been recognized as one of the nation’s top 46 under-18 players and has been invited to the 2020 National Men?s Summer Under-18 Selection Camp, Hockey Canada announced on Thursday.
The 17-year-old native of Beaumont, AB is one of 46 players named to the camp roster that was to compete for a spot with Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton and Red Deer this August, which was cancelled due to the COVID 19 pandemic.
?Corson is very deserving of the opportunity to move along in the process with Hockey Canada,? said Bandits Head Coach and General Manager, Ryan Papaioannou.
?He had a very strong rookie season last year and has all the making of a great year ahead of him. Although this isn?t the traditional U18 experience it?s still important for Corson to be recognized and earmarked as a player to watch early this season.”
Ceulemans appeared in 44 games during the 2019-20 season with Brooks, posting 35 points (5G, 30A).
The 6?2?, 190lb blueliner also represented his country at the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge in Medicine Hat, AB in November of 2019, scoring 4 points (4A) in 4 games for Team Canada Black. Then, in December of 2019, he was named to Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge in Dawson Creek, BC and skated in 4 games.
As a 15 year-old affiliate, he appeared in 8 games during the 2019 AJHL Playoffs and Doyle Cup for Brooks, posting 3 points (2 goals, 1A). After turning 16, he played in five games in the 2019 National Junior A Championship, scoring 3 points (3A).
Ceulemans is committed to the University of Wisconsin (NCAA Division I, Big Ten Conference).
With the cancellation of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, focus will now turn to the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship next spring; a host city has not yet been announced. The Czech Republic and Slovakia will host the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup before it returns to Edmonton and Red Deer in 2022.