McMillan-St. Denis Picked/Wild Off-Season in WHL

Brandon McMillan was a pleasant surprise being named to the Under 18 Canadian summer evaluation camp roster.
While he isn't an automatic to make the team - only 22 of the 40 players attending the camp will make the squad - just being considered is huge for the 17 year-old. McMillan benefited greatly by being on a young team last season that struggled, especially on the power play. McMillan saw a regular shift, killed penalties, and played the point with the man advantage.

If you look up and down the roster of the players from the Western Hockey League who are invited to August's camp, most are high bantam draft picks, many of which are first rounders.
McMillan was a 4th round pick in 2005, meaning 78 players were drafted before he was.

Speed kills, and Kyle St. Denis has the wheels to be a game breaker.
Hockey Canada couldn't leave him off the list of players invited to the summer camp.
St. Denis was acquired by the Rockets from the Regina Pats in December in the 6 player deal, and St. Denis is a guarantee to make the Rockets this upcoming season.
St. Denis is also an odd duck among the players attending the camp, because he too was a late bantam pick. The Pats selected him in the 5th round, 89th overall in 2005. St. Denis went 11 players after McMillan was snagged by the Rockets.

Of the 17 players from the WHL attending the camp, 8 are first rounders.
While McMillan and St. Denis are great examples of players that were selected by Hockey Canada, it's Regina's Jordan Eberle that really stands out. Eberle was a 7th round pick of the Pats in 05. Now that's impressive!!
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Has this been a great off-season in the WHL?
We have seen more coaching changes, hirings, trades and resignations like never before.
Moose Jaw hires Dave Hunchak, Prince Albert and Edmonton have yet to officially announce their coaches, and things are still up in the air in Kelowna and Portland.
Will Ryan Huska get promoted, and if so, who is his assistant? Does Mike Williamson get his contract renewed at the end of the month with the Hawks?
Hurricanes Assistant GM Brad McEwan resigned Thursday, while Jeff Truitt took Tuesday as the opportune time to resign his post with the Rockets.
When the 2007-2008 season starts, I'll need a program just to find out who's behind the bench of the twenty-two teams.
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The Oldies 1150/Kelowna Rockets golf tournament was another success Wednesday afternoon at the Harvest.
I chatted with Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton about the number of phone calls he's received since Jeff Truitt resigned.
If you want the job in Kelowna, what do you do?
Hamilton says whether you are Scotty Bowman or a minor hockey coach, he wants to see your resume.
While Bruce is collecting names, he's far to smart of a hockey man not to comb the weeds himself looking for the ideal candidate.
He coaxed Marc Habscheid to join him in Kelowna a few years back, and being persistent paid off. Hamilton knows what he wants in a head coach, and will likely go out and get it. Maybe it's staring him right in the face with Ryan Huska?