Greyhound among invites to USA camp

When USA Hockey opens its annual National Junior Team evaluation camp on Aug. 1, a member of the Soo Greyhounds will be in action.

Among the 39 players named to the camp were Greyhounds netminder Brandon Halverson, who was a member of the American entry in the 2015 World Junior Hockey Championship.

The 19-year-old spent much of the tournament as the primary backup to starting goaltender Thatcher Demko with Team USA but shut out Germany 6-0 in his lone start of the event.

Halverson finished the 2014-15 Ontario Hockey League season with a 40-5-0-2 record along with a 2.63 goals against average and a 0.913 save percentage in 50 games.

One player not among those who will participate in the camp is Flint Firebirds (formerly the Plymouth Whalers) goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. The 19-year-old will not attend the camp due to injury but is in the mix for one of the goaltending spots with the team after being a part of the 2015 team as well.

Halverson was among six Ontario Hockey League players to be invited to the camp.

The others included forwards Christian Dvorak (London Knights), Ryan MacInnis (Kitchener Rangers), Sonny Milano (Flint Firebirds) and defenceman Josh Jacobs, who recently signed with the Sarnia Sting.

Among the other players invited to the camp were highly-touted forward Jack Eichel, who is expected to be selected second overall in the 2015 National Hockey League entry draft later this month.

Another potential top pick, Auston Matthews, who played the 2014-15 season with the US under-18 national development team, will also be at the camp. Matthews is a potential top pick in the 2016 NHL draft.

Halverson was the second member of the Greyhounds to be invited to a development camp for their respective country.

Goaltender Joseph Raaymakers recently participated in Hockey Canada’s goaltending camo, held in Etobicoke, Ont. last weekend.

(Photo: Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday)