Eight of the state's best young hockey players have been invited to USA Hockey's evaluation camp. In all 45 players will be there. And from them the under-17 U.S. national development team for the 2011-12 season will be chosen.
Camp dates at March 21-24 at the Ice Cube in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The camp not only has the top players, born in 1995, but plenty of onlookers. College coaches and junior coaches attend as do NHL scouts.
The state players invited include three from Shattuck-St. Mary's, a private school in Faribault: defensemen Willie Raskob (Hastings) and Clint Lewis (Burnsville) and forward Taylor Cammarata (Plymouth).
Joining them at the Ice Cube will be three players who play fro metro teams, forwards Luke Voltin of Hill-Murray and Hudson Fasching of Apple Valley and defenseman Jordan Gross of Maple Grove, and two outstate players, defenseman Gage Ausmus of East Grand Forks and goalie Hunter Miska of North Branch.
The first invitations to join the under-17 team are usually extended within a couple weeks after the camp ends.
Players who attend are not committing to accept those invitations and about half won't get one.
There are expected to be 25 forwards at the camp, 16 defensemen and four goalies.
