Krzyzaniak preparing for another Hockey Canada camp in August

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By: Lanny Stewart

myWestman.ca

Neepawa's Halli Krzyzaniak is getting geared up for another Hockey Canada camp this summer.

 

After taking part in a strength and conditioning camp in May, the 19-year-old female hockey player from Neepawa is now preparing for a national women’s development team selection camp, slated for Aug. 8-17 in Calgary.

Krzyzaniak was one of 42 players who have been invited to take part in the camp which will see Hockey Canada choose 22 players from the group to take part in a three-game exhibition series against the United States, Aug. 21-24. 

“It is very important to make a good impression at this camp,” Krzyzaniak told myWestman.ca. “Going into this camp, I'm going to try and keep building on the foundation that I've developed the past few years. I love these camps because it gives you the opportunity to learn from many different coaches.”

The camp will see the invited players – which include Brandon’s Ashleigh Brykaliuk and Morden’s Taylor Woods – be split into two teams as they take part in practices and intrasquad games, as well as dry land training and fitness testing. High performance classroom sessions will also part of the schedule. 

Krzyzaniak says while at the strength and conditioning camp, coaches stressed to the players the importance of the summer camps – and that it plays a role in the selection process for the Canadian national women’s team which will compete in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

“Mel Davidson [Hockey Canada general manager of the national women’s team programs] made it clear that if you perform well at this level that you will be given a shot with the national team, but that you might only get that single shot,” added Krzyzaniak. 

One of the coaches Krzyzaniak will be learning from at the camp will be former Brandon Wheat Kings bench boss Dwayne Gylywoychuk. He was recently named Canada’s national women’s development team coach for the 2014-2015 season.

“I was fortunate enough to get on the ice a couple times in practices that Chewy has run and I enjoyed working with him,” said Krzyzaniak. “I think that he brings an interesting element to the program, coming from the western league, and I'm excited to learn from him.”

Krzyzaniak wrapped up her first season as a member of the University of North Dakota women's hockey team in March. Krzyzaniak and UND advanced to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Face-off championship game, but wound up losing to Minnesota in the final.

For more on the camp and to check out the entire roster of players who will be taking part, click here.

 

Photo of Krzyzaniak submitted