CALGARY, AB -- Cornell's Rebecca Johnston and Harvard's Sarah Vaillancourt are among a group fo 20 players, plus two alternates, who will head to Harbin, China in defence of Canada's championship at the IIHF World Women's Hockey Championship from April 4-12, Hockey Canada announced today.

Hockey Canada announced Canada's National Women's Team, at press conferences in Montreal, Toronto and Calgary. The roster includes two goaltenders, six defencemen and 12 forwards. National Women's Team head coach Peter Smith, along with general manager Melody Davidson, also announced two alternates (goaltender Shannon Szabados and forward Valerie Chouinard) who will make the trip with the team.

Johnston and Vaillancourt are joined by former ECAC Hockey standouts Gillian Apps (Dartmouth), Jennifer Botterill (Harvard), Gina Kingsbury (St. Lawrence), Cherie Piper (Dartmouth) and Katie Weatherston (Dartmouth).

Team Canada's roster, including alternates, is made up of the following:

• 17 members of the National Women's Team that won gold at the 2007 IIHF World Women's Championship
• 9 players from the Western Women's Hockey League
• 7 players from the Canadian Women's Hockey League
• 4 players from U.S. College
• 1 player from Canadian Interuniversity Sport
• 1 player from the Alberta Colleges Athletic Association

Complete roster can be accessed as PDF by clicking here. 

Canada is the defending champion at the IIHF World Women's Hockey Championship, having won the 2007 event that was held in Selkirk and Winnipeg, MB.

Canada's roster was selected based on events throughout the 2007-08 season. Team Canada's coaching and scouting staff evaluated players at the National Women's Team Fall Festival in September in Prince George, BC, at the 2007 4 Nations Cup in November in Leksand, Sweden, and at the January evaluation camp in Calgary, AB. In addition to evaluating players at these Team Canada events, coaches and scouts also followed players with their respective club teams.

"As a staff, we are excited about the group of players that we have assembled," says Smith. "Each of these players should be proud to be named to Team Canada. We had many tough decisions to make but we're confident that we have the right group to win the world championship."

Canada will open the IIHF World Women's Hockey Championship on April 4th against Russia.

Canada's roster includes two players, Meghan Mikkelson (St. Albert, AB/Edmonton, WWHL) and Johnston (Sudbury, ON), who will be playing in their first World Women's Championship. (NOTE: Johnston was an alternate at the 2007 IIHF World Women's Championship). Alternate players Shannon Szabados (Edmonton, AB/Grant MacEwan, ACAC) and Valerie Chouinard (Matane, QC/Mercyhurst, CHA) will also be attending their first World Women's Championship.