August 28, 2007

Canada National Festival Features 10 League Standouts

CALGARY - Hockey Canada announced on Tuesday that 41 of the country's top female hockey players, including five current and five former ECAC Hockey standouts, will attend the annual National Women's Team Fall Festival, from August 31 to September 9 in Prince George, BC.

The 41 players have been divided into two teams of 20 and 21 players respectively - Team Red and Team White - and will play exhibition games against Sweden's National Women's Team and the Cariboo Cougars, a boys team that plays in the B.C. Major Midget League.

Team White includes current League standouts Annie Guay and Sabrina Harbec of St. Lawrence; Sarah Vaillancourt of Harvard; and former League sensations Gillian Apps of Dartmouth; Jennifer Botterill of Harvard; Gina Kingsbury of St. Lawrence; and Vicky Sunohara, who starred at Northeastern in the 1990s.

Team Red includes current standouts Chelsea Grills of St. Lawrence and Katie Weatheston of Dartmouth; and Correne Bredin, who starred at Dartmouth.

Hockey Canada will use the Fall Festival to identify players who may compete for the National Women's Team during the 2007-08 season, which includes the 4 Nations Cup (November 3-12 in Sweden), January evaluation camp in Calgary, AB and the 2008 IIHF World Women's Championship (April 4-13 in Harbin, China).

The players selected for the Fall Festival today is the result of the coordinated effort of Hockey Canada's head scout of National Women's Teams, Wally Kozak, and general manager of the National Women's Teams, Mel Davidson.

"Even though these are exhibition games, fans can expect competitive hockey," says Davidson. "These 40 players are battling for 20 spots on the National Women's Team and consideration for Olympic centralization and this is their chance to impress the coaches and Hockey Canada staff."

FALL FESTIVAL FACTS

  • Four goaltenders, 12 defence and 25 forwards
  • 19 members of Canada's 2007 World Women's Hockey Championship team
  • 9 players from Canada's National Women's Under-22 Team which just finished a three-game series against the U.S.A.
  • 2 players from Canada's National Women's Under-18 Team which just finished a three-game series against the U.S.A.
  • Players from the following Hockey Canada branches
  • 17 from the Ontario Women's Hockey Association
  • 11 from Hockey Quebec
  • 5 from Hockey Alberta
  • 4 from Hockey Manitoba
  • 4 from the Saskatchewan Hockey Association