A local hockey player has been selected to participate in the first annual Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship hockey camp later this summer.
Fifteen-year-old centre Reid Gardiner of Humboldt will travel to Mississauga, Ont., to take part in the camp, which runs August 2-6.
Sponsored in part by Allstate Insurance Canada and hosted by the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), the five-day camp will be led by 21-year NHL veteran Gary Roberts, along with several current NHL players.
Among the pros taking part will be forwards Jordan Eberle (Edmonton Oilers) and Eric Staal (Carolina Hurricanes), defenceman Shea Weber (Nashville Predators), and goalie J.S. Giguere (Toronto Maple Leafs).
The camp will conclude with an inter-squad exhibition game on Saturday, Aug. 6.
Gardiner's selection was part of a season-long effort coordinated by the NHLPA to identify 42 of the country's top bantam-age players (birth year 1996) based on position. The invitation-only camp has been designed for today's generation of NHLers to give some of Canada's best young players the guidance and mentorship support they need, both on and off the ice, as they take their hockey careers to the next level.
Classroom sessions will cover a variety of foundational topics such as nutrition, strength and fitness, sports psychology, financial responsibility, and personal values.
Parents will be invited to participate in selected sessions designed to equip families with the information they need to help make well-informed decisions about their childrens' futures.
"A key goal of our camp is to help equip these athletes with information and tools to help them deal with the choices that lie immediately ahead in their hockey career plans," said Mike Ouellet, NHLPA Chief of Business Affairs. "Who better to do that than NHL players who have gone down the same road, and who have valuable experience and advice to share?"
A standout with the Humboldt Bantam AA Broncos in each of the past two seasons, Gardiner was selected in the first round of the 2011 WHL bantam draft by the Prince Albert Raiders, going eighth overall in the draft.
The 5'11", 165-pounder notched 50 goals and 31 assists in 24 Centre Four Hockey League games in 2010-11. He also saw limited duty as a call-up with the Midget AA Broncos, helping them repeat as league champions.
