ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The 2015 National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp, which will feature some of the top American players born in 1999, will be held from March 20-24, at the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Ice Cube. The camp will help determine the 2015-16 U.S. National Under-17 Team.
Players invited to the camp will be divided into three teams – Red, White and Blue. The squads will participate in on-ice practices and off-ice training as well as four 30-minute practice sessions and two full games. A complete schedule can be found here.
NTDP alumni Kyle Lawson (New Hudson, Mich./2004-05) and Freddy Meyer (Sanbornville, N.H./1997-2000) will serve as coaches at the camp. In addition, NTDP intern assistant coaches J.D. Forrest (Auburn, N.Y./1997-2000), who is another alumnus of the NTDP, and Tyler Walsh will also work behind the bench.
The NTDP Evaluation Camp will also feature an appearance by Stan Bowman, general manager of the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks, who will speak to camp attendees and their parents. Bowman was a part of the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Committee for the 2014 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team.
A complete roster of the invitees will be released at a later date.
NOTES: Kyle Lawson played in four seasons with the University of Notre Dame (2006-10). Before his days with the Fighting Irish, Lawson was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team in 2005. The defenseman went on to serve as alternate captain during Team USA’s bronze-medal finish at the 2007 World Junior Championship … Freddy Meyer was among the inaugural group of athletes to train at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan, during the 1997-98 season. Meyer spent parts of seven seasons in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and Atlanta Thrashers. Now an assistant coach with the American Hockey League’s Manchester Monarchs, the former defenseman suited up for Boston University after his stint with the NTDP, earning First-Team All-America status in 2002-03.
ABOUT THE NTDP: In 1996, USA Hockey introduced a new initiative called the National Team Development Program, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Celebrating its 18th season of play in 2014-15, the goal of this full-time development program is to prepare student-athletes under the age of 18 for participation on U.S. National Teams and success in their future hockey careers. Its efforts focus not only on high-caliber participation on the ice, but creating well-rounded individuals off the ice.
