CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced Friday the 24 players who will represent Canada at the 2013 Spengler Cup, Dec. 26-31 in Davos, Switzerland. The roster is comprised of Canadian players currently playing in Europe, as well as players currently playing in the American Hockey League loaned to Hockey Canada by NHL teams.
The team was assembled by Brad Pascall, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations/national teams, along with management group members Brad Treliving (Penticton, B.C./Phoenix, NHL) and Craig Heisinger (Winnipeg, Man./Winnipeg, NHL), Hockey Canada’s national teams staff, head coach Doug Shedden (Wallaceburg, Ont./EV Zug, SUI) and assistant coach Serge Pelletier (Montreal, Que./HC Ambri-Piotta, SUI).
“The players we have selected today are Canadian ambassadors for the game, both in North America and Europe, and we are excited they will wear the maple leaf in Davos,” said Pascall. “We look forward to getting on the ice in Switzerland and representing Canada proudly.”
Canada’s roster includes seven players who helped Canada win its 12th Spengler Cup championship last year: Micki DuPont, Geoff Kinrade, Brett McLean, Maxim Noreau, Byron Ritchie, Travis Roche and Derrick Walser.
This year’s Spengler Cup will include Canada’s National Men’s Team, HC Vitkovice Steel (Czech Republic) and HC Davos (Switzerland), the host team, playing in the Cattini Group, and CSKA Moscow (Russia), HC Genève-Servette (Switzerland) and the Rochester Americans (AHL) playing in the Torriani Group.
Canada opens the tournament Dec. 26 against HC Vitkovice Steel at 2:15 p.m. ET/11:15 a.m. PT. All of Canada’s games at the 2013 Spengler Cup will be broadcast on TSN or TSN2. CLICK HERE for the broadcast schedule.
Canada has appeared in 10 of the last 12 championship games, winning the Spengler Cup in 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2012. Overall, Canada’s National Men’s Team has won the Spengler Cup 12 times (1984, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2012) since first taking part in the tournament in 1984.
The Spengler Cup, held annually since 1923, is the oldest professional international hockey tournament in the world.
For more information on Canada’s National Men’s Team and the 2013 Spengler Cup, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca, and follow along through social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hockeycanada and www.twitter.com/hc_men.