CALGARY, Alta. – Canada’s National Sledge Team is gathering at the Mattamy Homes Arena at the Sensplex in Ottawa, Ont., from Nov. 16-20, for the second of three planned training camps. Twenty players will take part in the camp in preparation for the upcoming season.
Paralympic bronze-medallist Graeme Murray, who played 163 games with Canada’s National Sledge Team, is rejoining the national program – this time as an assistant coach.
Murray, a native of Gravenhurst, Ont., represented Canada at four Paralympic Winter Games and five IPC Sledge Hockey World Championships, and will be looking to bring his experience to the team in a new capacity.
Canada’s National Sledge Team roster for the 2015-16 season was announced Oct. 4, and includes 15 players who helped Canada win a silver medal at the 2015 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship in Buffalo, N.Y. (Arsenault, Block, Bowden, Bridges, Delaney, Dixon, Dorion, Gemmell, Larocque, McGregor, Sholomicki, Sorley, Watson, Westlake, Whitson).
“We had a tremendous camp in Toronto last month, and we’re excited to come together again in the nation’s capital for what should be a great week of work,” said Ken Babey, head coach of Canada’s National Sledge Team. “We’re also pleased to be adding Graeme to our staff; he’s well-respected by all of our players, and his experience and knowledge make him an important piece to the puzzle.”
The last of three training camps for Canada’s National Sledge Team this year will be held in Calgary in February.
All practices are free and open to the public. The camp is the only time this year that Canada’s National Sledge Team will be in the Ottawa area for on-ice sessions. (Sensplex, Mattamy Homes Arena, 1565 Maple Grove Rd., Ottawa, Ont.)
Canada’s National Sledge Team will be competing in several international tournaments this season, including the 2016 World Sledge Hockey Challenge from Jan. 17-23 at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre in Bridgewater, N.S.
The team will announce its roster for the December competition in Turin, Italy a few weeks before the start of the event.
For more information on the Canada’s National Sledge Hockey Team, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca, or follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/hcsledge and www.twitter.com/hc_sledge.