Seven collegians named to U.S. junior camp

Fourteen players from the gold medal-winning 2006 U.S. National Under-18 Team are among the group of 45 players invited to the 2006 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., August 5-14.

Participating players are candidates for the 2006 U.S. National Junior Team that will compete in the 2007 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, Dec. 26, 2006-Jan. 5, 2007, in Mora and Leksand, Sweden.

Among the invites are seven current or future Michigan college players.

Sophomore Michigan defensemen Jack Johnson and Mark Mitera will be joined at the camp by incoming Wolverines' blueliner Chris Summers and incoming Michigan State defender Mike Ratchuk.

Up front, sophomore Spartan forward Justin Abdelkader (left) joins incoming U-M stud Trevor Lewis and Matt Butcher, a future Northern Michigan Wildcat.

The camp will feature practices and eight international scrimmages with a split squad of the best American players under the age of 20 facing off against Sweden and Finland.