A Cranbrook product has been named to the national U18 woman’s selection camp ahead of the IIHF U18 World Championship, which will be held in Wisconsin in June.
Jaimee Spring was one of 40 U18 players across the country named to the selection camp, which will be held in Calgary at the end of the month. Spring will join 12 skaters looking to earn a role in the defensive corps, while 24 forwards and four goaltenders will also compete for their own spots on the roster.
Spring recently suited up for Team BC at the Western Regional Women’s U18 Championship last fall in Manitoba, tallying a goal and an assist in five games.
For the past two seasons, Spring has been playing in the Female U18 Prep program (CSSHL) at Edge School in Calgary.
“This is an exciting time for this group of dedicated athletes, who have waited over two years for a chance to compete on the international stage,” said Gina Kingsbury, director of hockey operations with Hockey Canada. “Our athletes and entire staff involved in our program have been looking forward to this opportunity.”
“We had a short window last summer where we were able to gather together to train, compete and play some games in a competitive setting. With the world championship right around the corner, we will maximize our time together on the ice and put our off-ice work into practice, with a goal of representing Canada and competing for a gold medal.”
The national U18 team will be coached by Howie Draper, who previously coached the U18 team to gold and silver, respectively, in 2019 and 2020. He will be joined by Vicky Sunohara and Tara Watchorn as assistant coaches on the bench, while Gord Woodhall will serve as goaltending coach.