SIOUX FALLS, SD -- The Sioux Falls Stampede are proud to announce that head coach and general manager Cary Eades has been selected as head coach of the U.S. Under-17 Select Team that will compete in the 2014 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament August 13-17 in Crimmitschau, Germany.

The 20-man roster was finalized by USA Hockey. All 20 players participated in the USA Hockey Boys’ Select 16 Player Development Camp, which took place from July7-13 at Northtown Center at Amherst in Williamsville, New York.

Of the 20 players on the roster, 18 were selected or tendered in the USHL’s 2014 Future’s Draft. The roster includes the Stampede’s first round draft pick in the 2014 Future’s Draft (also known as Phase 1) Kieffer Bellows. Bellows spent last season at Edina High School in Minnesota where he posted 34 points (13g, 21a) in 31 games while leading the Hornets to the Minnesota State High School AA championship. While with the Hornets, he skated all season with Stampede defenseman Tyler Nanne. His father, Brian Bellows, is a former Minnesota North Stars great who spent 10 years with the North Stars and 18 total years in the NHL.

Eades will begin his third season with the Stampede this September and has already compiled 79 wins in just two seasons with the Herd, leading them to consecutive playoff appearances. In 2012-13, Eades guided the Stampede to a 45-17-0 record and captured a Western Conference regular season championship while advancing to the Western Conference Finals during the Clark Cup Playoffs. He was named USHL Coach of the Year for his efforts. Nearly 30 players have secured Division I scholarships while playing under Eades in Sioux Falls.

"I'm extremely excited to represent USA Hockey in the Five Nations tournament,” said Eades. “There is no higher honor as a player (and a coach) than to wear your nations jersey. Our selection committee had a very difficult job in selecting 20 players for the team, but we really like the size, speed and skill of our group, and we have a great coaching staff that feel strongly we’ll represent USA Hockey very well. It's my 2nd time coaching a USA Nat'l team (Eades also was head coach of the 2006 USA U-17 team), but the previous time the tourney was held in Rochester, NY, so I'm looking forward to the challenges of taking a team overseas. It should be a wonderful and memorable experience for all involved!"

Clark Donatelli (Wheeling, W.Va.) and Bob Mancini (Saginaw, Mich.) will serve as assistant coaches under Eades during the tournament. The U.S. Under-17 Select Team will begin play at the Five Nations Tournament on August 13th against Slovakia before facing Switzerland, Czech Republic and Germany in opening pool play.

The Stampede begin play in the state-of-the-art Denny Sanford Premier Center starting on October 11th against Waterloo.

 

Cary Eades, Sioux Falls Stampede head coach
Sioux Falls Stampede
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Courtesy:  Sioux Falls Stampede

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