St. John’s teen will make bid for place on national hockey team

Maggie Connors of St. John’s has been invited to attend Hockey Canada’s national under-18 women’s selection camp early next month in Calgary.

The 16-year-old Connors (she turns 17 in October) has spent the last three years at Shattuck-st. Mary’s, a Faribault, Minn., prep school well known for its hockey programs, so much so that it has been nicknamed the Hogwarts of hockey.

She played for Newfoundland and Labrador at the 2015 Canada Games and with Team Atlantic at the 2016 national U18 championship. Shattuck-st. Mary’s won national U16 girls championships during Connors’ first two years at the school. Last season, in 54 games, Connors was second on the team in both goals (38) and points (80). She will move up to Shattuck-st. Mary’s prep team, the two-time national U19 female champion. Connors will be one of 22 forwards at the 42-player selection camp, which will involve several practices, two intrasquad games, off-ice dryland training, fitness testing and classroom sessions. Those intrasquad teams will also play games against the national under-18 team from Russia, which has travelled to Calgary to take part in Hockey Canada’s Summer Showcase. Of the 42 players in camp., 23 will be selected to play in a three-game series against the United States, Aug. 17-20 in Lake Placid, N.Y.

After that, Hockey Canada scouts, along with the team’s coaching staff, will continue to evaluate players during the 2017-18 season, including at the 2017 national women’s U18 championship in Quebec City. They then will settle on the roster for the Canadian team that will compete at the 2018 IIHF U18 women’s world championship.