A handful of Yukon hockey players have secured invites to a Junior A team hockey camp this summer following a prospects camp held in Whitehorse last weekend.

Thought to be the first of its kind in Whitehorse featuring a number of representatives from multiple levels of B.C. hockey, the Trail Smoke Eaters put on a camp for development and for prospects.

It was their first time up north and they want to return.

“We 100 per cent want to come back,” said Steve Robinson, the operations manager for the Trail Smoke Eaters.

Robinson said that if the organization is able to find one kid who might be able to play on their team, they would consider the camp a success.

After three days in Whitehorse, they extended invites to a handful of players and have passed on the names of others to other organizations in their area.

Robinson could not release the players’ names until the invites were official.

“Overall the talent level was higher than we expected,” he said.

Approximately 60 players in three age groups took part in the camps, which were held at the Canada Games Centre.

The younger kids, born in 2007 to 2003 took part in a skills and development camp.

“We see good things for them in the future,” said Robinson.

Hockey Yukon president Carl Burgess said it was a good opportunity for the boys to see how the prospects camp (for birth years 1998 to 2002) works.

“It takes the mystique out of it when it’s their turn,” said Burgess.

While the younger boys were put through the paces of skills and drills, the prospect camp kids were duelling it out in games, which Burgess said is the best situation in which to scout talent.

“It’s game situation where you really hone your evaluation,” he said.

They played three full games.

Robinson said the Smoke Eaters were pleased with how the weekend camps went and are planning to come back in the future.

“It’s very nice that people wanted us to come,” he said. “I can’t emphasize enough that we’re hoping this is only the first of many years where we’re going to be here.”