TORONTO, ON – The players and staff of Canada's Men's Olympic Team will receive special commemorative rings in celebration of Canada winning its first gold medal in fifty years in men's Olympic ice hockey, the Canadian Hockey Association announced on Wednesday at a press conference in Toronto, ON.
Rings and team photos were presented to six members of Canada's Men's Olympic hockey team during the press conference: Wayne Gretzky, Pat Quinn, Ed Belfour, Michael Peca, Chris Pronger and Steve Yzerman. The presentations were made by CHA President, Bob Nicholson. Over the next three weeks, Nicholson will be meeting with the remaining players and staff at various NHL cities to present them with their rings and photos.
The rings, manufactured by Calgary-based Intergold, feature the Team Canada logo, the Olympic rings, an engraving of the 5-2 final score from the gold medal game, the years of the previous Olympic gold medal victories (1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 19).
"It has been a terrific year for Canadian hockey, still glowing from Canada’s two Olympic gold medals in hockey in Salt Lake City," said CHA president Bob Nicholson. "We look forward to distributing these rings today and over the next few weeks to a very deserving group of exceptional individuals, players and staff."
"Receiving the ring today reminds me of the great times and our victory in Salt Lake City as well as the months of preparation leading up to the Olympics," said 2002 Team Canada Executive Director, Wayne Gretzky. "The players and staff of Team Canada can take great pride in their accomplishments at the Olympics."
Canada’s Women’s Olympic team was presented with their gold medal rings during a ceremony at the Hockey Hall of Fame on , which was broadcast as a live 30 minute show on TSN, the official broadcaster of the CHA.