Fort St. John Huskies hope to bolster roster at elite recruitment camp

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — With several players exiting their program, the Fort St. John Huskies hope attendance at an elite recruiting camp will bolster their roster.

The Strike Group North West Junior Hockey League’s (NWJHL) champs will attend May’s Western Elite Hockey Showcase, held in both Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta according to a Facebook post from the event.

Fort St. John Huskies general manager Jeremy Clothier will be in attendance in Edmonton, along with Scott Greenlees, assistant director of player recruitment. 

Meanwhile, Huskies’ regional scout Nick Cross will attend the camp in Calgary.

With Ashton Underhill, Connor Cozens and Tanner McCracken leaving the program, the event is a priority in the off-season schedule.

“We aren’t really looking for specific spots [on the roster],” said Clothier. “But we’re always looking to improve on what we have currently.

“At last year’s Edmonton camp, I managed to find [goaltender] Ethan Fechter. It was a pretty good piece for our program.”

The Huskies are one of five NWJHL clubs who will be attending, joining Dawson Creek, Fairview, North Peace and Sexsmith.

Representatives from the British Columbia Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) schools will also be present.

Formed in 2019, the Western Elite Hockey Showcase is managed by the Western Elite Hockey Group.

Its website reads the camp “brings dozens of Junior A and B coaches and scouts from around Western Canada under one roof”.

Over 850 players have attended the camps during its existence.

The Western Elite Hockey Showcase is scheduled for Friday, May 16th to Sunday, May 18th in Calgary at the Trico Centre for Family Wellness, and Friday, May 23rd to Sunday, May 25th at Edmonton’s Clareview Community Recreation Centre.

More details about the Western Elite Hockey Showcase can be found on its website and Facebook pages.