The Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Cup is back for a second year, and 42 of the best bantam-aged players in the country will be learning from some star NHL talent.
The National Hockey League Players' Association announced Thursday that John Tavares and Taylor Hall have been named the coaches of the two teams that will meet in Mississauga, Ontario on Saturday, July 21.
You can watch the game next Saturday on TSN beginning at 3:30pm et/12:30pm pt.
"This program is a great way to teach the next generation of young hockey players about all the hard work and sacrifice it takes to perform at an elite level," explained Tavares in a statement. "It will be fun to participate behind the bench for a change and I'm excited to be a part of it."
"It's been six years since my bantam hockey year, and the Allstate All-Canadians program reminds me of all the things I've learned since then about taking care of my body and being mentally strong," said Hall. "I hope that I'll be able to pass a few of those helpful lessons I've learned to this group of young hockey players.
The game will be the culmination of a week-long Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Camp, which will be led by former NHLer Gary Roberts and assisted by current players including Jason Spezza, Tyler Seguin, Jeff Skinner, and Martin Biron. The bantam players, who are 14 and 15 years old, will receive instruction in fitness and nutrition, along with other skills focusing on both on- and off-ice conditioning.
"These young hockey players are tremendously focused and driven to improve, and it was inspiring to be a part of the camp last year," explained Spezza. "I look forward to attending this year's camp as a Mentor and continuing my involvement with the program."
TSN will have complete coverage all week from the Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Camp. SportsCentre will be filing reports from the camp all week, while That's Hockey will be doing features on some of Canada's best young hockey talent.
