EDMONTON – It’s official, Edmonton Oilers star Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will take part in the Canadian junior hockey team’s selection camp.
Nugent-Hopkins’ agent, Rick Valette, and the Oilers made the announcement on Saturday that the 19-year-old centre would attend the camp in Calgary on Monday.
Nugent-Hopkins says the biggest factor the decision to go to camp was making sure his shoulder, which he injured in an NHL game last season, was good to go. After that, he says it was a fairly easy decision to make.
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“I definitely thought about all my options and at the end of the day I just thought this would be a good opportunity for me.”
He says he’s looking forward to representing his country, and hopes to come back with gold.
“It’s going to be a different experience for me, and I’m going to try to take on the role of leader out there and I’m excited about that challenge.”
Nugent-Hopkins has eight goals and 12 assists in 19 games with the Oilers’ American Hockey League affiliate Oklahoma City Barons during the NHL lockout this season.
He left the Barons for Edmonton to have his left shoulder examined earlier this week.
Thirty-seven players were invited to selection camp Dec. 10-15 ahead of the championship that opens Dec. 26 in Ufa, Russia.
Nugent-Hopkins hasn’t played in a world junior before.
With files from Global News.
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