CALGARY, ALBERTA – Canada’s National Women’s Hockey Team will depart for Sweden on for the upcoming 2003 4 Nations Cup in Skövde, Skara and Tibro, from November 5-9, 2003.

Canada’s National Women’s Team roster assembled for the 4 Nations Cup, previously announced on Oct.) is a development and evaluation roster, and represents a first step in an ongoing evaluation process leading towards the 2004 IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship.

The 2003 4 Nations Cup marks Canada’s first and only international competition prior to the 2004 IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship. Players and staff will be departing for Sweden on November 2nd for two days of training prior to the beginning of the event.

Canada is the defending champion and was won six of seven Nations Cups (previously the 3 Nations Cup), since this event began in 1996. The four teams from the 2002 Olympics will be featured at the 2003 4 Nations Cup: Canada, USA, Sweden and Finland.

Canada will face Sweden to open the 2003 4 Nations Cup, on November 5th, in Skara. The remainder of Canada’s games will be in Skövde, Sweden. On Nov. 6th, Canada will face USA and on Nov. 8th, Finland. The bronze medal and gold medal games will be played in November 9th. There will be no TV or radio coverage of any of the games however game summaries, realtime statistics, game reports and behind the scenes information will be posted regularly at www.hockeycanada.ca

During the 2003-04 season, and over the course of the next two seasons, Canada will name different rosters for camps and events. Over the course of the 2003-04 season, head scout Wally Kozak and the National Women’s Team coaching staff (Head Coach Karen Hughes, assistant coaches Ken Dufton and Doug Lidster) will evaluate and monitor players that attended the Thanksgiving Festival as well as other players prior to naming a final World Championship roster in February.

Goaltenders:

Charline Labonté (Boisbriand, QC/ Montréal, NWHL), Sami Jo Small (Winnipeg, MB/ Toronto, NWHL)

Defencemen:

Correne Bredin (Warburg, AB/ Calgary, NWHL), Delaney Collins (Pilot Mound, MB/ Calgary, NWHL), Gillian Ferrari (Thornhill, ON/ Toronto, NWHL) Becky Kellar (Hagersville, ON/ Toronto, NWHL), Carla MacLeod (Calgary, AB/ U. of Wisconsin, WCHA), Cheryl Pounder (Mississauga, ON/ Toronto, NWHL), Colleen Sostorics (Kennedy, SK/ Calgary, NWHL)

Forwards:

Gillian Apps (Unionville, ON/ Dartmouth Coll., ECAC), Kelly Béchard (Sedley, SK/ Calgary, NWHL), Jennifer Botterill (Winnipeg, MB/ Toronto, NWHL), Cassie Campbell (Brampton, ON/ Calgary, NWHL), Annie Desrosiers (St-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, QC/ Toronto, NWHL), Lori Dupuis (Cornwall, ON/ Brampton, NWHL), Danielle Goyette (St-Nazaire, QC/ Calgary, NWHL), Jayna Hefford (Kingston, ON/ Brampton, NWHL), Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC/ St. Lawrence Univ., ECAC), Caroline Ouellette (Montréal, QC/ Minnesota-Duluth, WCHA), Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON/ Dartmouth Coll., ECAC), Sarah Vaillancourt (Sherbrooke, QC/ Promfret Prep School, USHS), Hayley Wickenheiser (Shaunavon, SK/ HC Salamat, FIN)

The 2004 IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship is in Canada this season, with Halifax, NS hosting the best women’s hockey players in the World from March 30-. Ticket packages are on sale now and more information is available at www.hockeycanada.ca