Budgell invited to national team camp
Isles rookie among 26 forwards vying for spot at Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Charlottetown Islanders forward Brett Budgell is one of 44 players invited to Hockey Canada’s under-18 selection camp at the end of July in preparation for August’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Alberta. The Paradise, N.L., left-winger had 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points in 32 regular season games with the Isles. He added six goals and six assists for 18 playoff games. “He certainly earned it,” Islanders head coach and general manager Jim Hulton said. “I think he opened up the eyes of the hockey world in the second half and, in particular, with how he ended the season and in the playoffs.” The camp will include four goalies, 14 defencemen and 26 forwards. Other Quebec Major Junior Hockey League players invited Brett Budgell include defenceman Justin Barron (Halifax), Maxence Guenette (Val-d’Or), Christopher Inniss (Rimouski) and Christopher Merisier-Ortiz (Baie-Comeau) and forwards Alex Beaucage (Rouyn-Noranda), Alexis Lafreniere (Rimouski), Nathan Legare (Baie-Comeau), Dawson Mercer (Drummondville), Jakob Pelletier (Moncton), Samuel Poulin (Sherbrooke), Xavier Simoneau (Drummondville) and Xavier Parent (Halifax). Rouyn-Noranda head coach Gilles Bouchard will be Canada’s head coach. Canada, which begins the tournament Aug. 4 in Red Deer against the Czech Republic, has won gold 21 times in 27 years of summer under-18 competition. It might not be the only Islanders player attending a national team camp this summer. The world junior camp list has not been released, but Hulton expect captain Pierre-Olivier Joseph to get the call. “I would be shocked if he’s not an invitee,” he said. “We have big belief in this kid.”