Four young netminders with ties to the province of Manitoba have been selected amongst 23 others to participate in the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence Goaltending Camp, currently running Tuesday, June 9 to Friday, June 12 virtually.

Led by 11 highly skilled, top-level coaches – including four NHL goalie coaches – the goaltenders tuning in are broken down by age group, including 12 at the U17 level, six under the U18 umbrella, as well as another five listed in the U20 category.

Serving as Manitoba’s representatives are Tyler Brennan (Winnipeg, Prince George Cougars, 17), Ethan Buenaventura (Winnipeg, RHA, 15), Reid Dyck (Winkler, Pembina Valley Hawks, 16), Matthew Kieper (Winnipeg, Winnipeg Bruins, 16).

“The Program of Excellence goaltending camp is a great opportunity to bring together the top young goaltenders in the country and assist with the development process for these athletes,” said Hockey Canada national team senior Vice President Scott Salmond in a press release. “Despite the unique nature of this year’s camp and the switch to an online delivery for our programs, we believe all 23 goalies will benefit from world-class instruction as we continue to prepare for a new season.”

Held online due to the threat of the spread of COVID-19, the Manitobans make up four of the 23 invitees currently logging in daily for online sessions consisting of short-term competition planning models, both mental and physical performance, learning the role of a back-up goaltender and overall goalie development through online education. The camp is currently underway and will wrap up its fourth and final day of online session on Friday.