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Spokane Chiefs

Chiefs notebook: Kailer Yamamoto invited to USA Hockey showcase

Spokane right wing Kailer Yamamoto (17) scores the Chiefs first goal of the night past Seattle goalie Rylan Toth (31) during the first period of a WHL hockey game in the Spokane Arena, Tues., Nov. 15, 2016. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
From wire reports

Spokane Chiefs forward Kailer Yamamoto has been invited to USA Hockey’s 2017 World Junior Summer Showcase at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. from July 29-Aug. 5.

The event features players from four countries – the United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden – as players compete for a chance to represent their country at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo.

Yamamoto has competed for Team USA at multiple previous events including the 2014 U17 Five Nations Tournament, 2014 World U17 Hockey Challenge, 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and 2016 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship.

He led all scorers with 13 points (4G, 3A) at the Ivan Hlinka and led the U18 world championship in goals scored (7). He also attended last year’s USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp as an 18-year-old.

The 19-year-old NHL Entry Draft top prospect is one of 42 players invited by USA Hockey, including 10 from CHL clubs. The U.S. will split their 42 players into two teams (USA Blue and USA White), to be announced at a later date.

Smith and Chorney invited to Hockey Canada men’s camps

Ty Smith and Carter Chorney earned invitations to Canada’s National Teams’ Summer Showcase camps in Plymouth, Michigan, later this summer, as announced by Hockey Canada on Tuesday.

Smith, a 17-year-old defenseman from Lloydminster, Alberta, is one of 16 blueliners (44 total players) headed to the Under-18 Selection Camp. Smith, as a rookie with the Chiefs, ranked 13th in scoring among all WHL first-year players during the 2016-17 season. He has previously competed for Canada at multiple international tournaments, including most recently as team captain of Canada Black at the 2016 World U17 Hockey Challenge.

Chorney, a 16-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alberta, is one of 111 players selected to Canada’s under-17 camp. He was the Chiefs’ second round (39th overall) pick in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft. He recorded 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists) in 30 games with the Sherwood Park Kings of the AMHL during the 2016-17 season and wore an “A” for gold medal-winning Team Alberta at the 2016 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup.

Both camps will take place in Calgary, with Chorney and the rest of the U17 camp invitees beginning on July 22, followed by Smith and the U18 camp beginning on July 28. Final roster decisions for the U18 squad will be made immediately prior to their departure for the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament on Aug. 2.