Canada Evaluation Camp Dominated by League Presence

Chelsea Grills (l), Annie Guay (c) and Sabrina Harbec (r) will compete at the Canada National Team Evaluation Camp

CALGARY, AB -- The St. Lawrence trio of Chelsea Grills, Annie Guay and Sabrina Harbec headline a group of nine current and former student-athletes who are among 21 of the top women's hockey players in Canada participating in the National Team Women's evaluation camp January 20-27 in Calgary, Alberta. The roster includes 13 players who helped Canada win gold at the 2007 IIHF World Women's Championship in Winnipeg and Selkirk, MB.

Joining the Saints' trio are former league standouts Gillian Apps, Cherie Piper and Katie Weatherston, Dartmouth; Jennifer Botterill, Harvard; Gina Kingsbury, St. Lawrence; and Vicky Sunohara, who played in the league as a student-athlete at Northeastern.

Click here for a complete roster

The week-long camp in Calgary is one of several evaluation tools that Canada's coaching staff will use to determine the roster that will represent Canada at the 2008 IIHF World Women's Championship from April 4-13, 2008 in Harbin, China. The 21 players who will be in Calgary are part of a larger pool of players who are being considered for the world championship team.

"It is an exciting time for our staff and potential players," says Peter Smith, head coach of the National Women's Team. "We are moving closer and closer to the 2008 IIHF World Women's Championship but there is still a lot of work to be done before we announce that roster. The evaluation camp in Calgary is an important stage in the overall process."

Team Canada's coaching and scouting staffs have been busy throughout the 2007-08 season at such events as the National Women's Team Fall Festival in September in Prince George, BC and 4 Nations Cup in November in Leksand, Sweden. The coaching and scouting staffs have also watched players with their respective club teams.

Canada's world championship roster will be made up of players who have been part of the National Women's Team, National Women's Under-22 Team or National Women's Under-18 Team programs at some point during this season. Players who participated in the 2007 National Women's Team Fall Festival and/or 4 Nations Cup who have not been invited to the January evaluation camp are still part of the group of players being considered for the 2008 World Championship team.

The evaluation camp will include daily practices from January 21st to 25th. Games will also be played January 23rd, 25th, 26th and 27th.