QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC – The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) hosted the 2008 IIHF Skills Challenge on the weekend of May 2-4 in Quebec City. The event was the first ever international skills challenge and was part of the IIHF’s 100th anniversary celebrations.

The 2008 IIHF Skills Challenge took place during the opening weekend of the 2008 IIHF World Championship. A total of 104 participants took part in the event (ages 11-16), coming from 30 IIHF member federations.

Hockey Canada’s Canadian Skills Challenge was held May 3rd in conjunction with the IIHF event; Twenty-four players and 12 goalies represented various Hockey Canada Branches. The top male player, top female player, top male goaltender and top female goaltender moved forward to represent Canada in the IIHF Skills Challenge held May 4th at the PEPS Centre.

Canadian Skills Challenge Results:

Male Player:
1. Nicolas Petan BC Hockey
2. Jarrett Fontaine Saskatchewan Hockey Association
3. Jack Macquarrie Hockey Nova Scotia

Female Player:
1. Michaeline Falla Ontario Women’s Hockey Association
2. Geneviève Bannon Hockey Quebec
3. Katie Parkman Hockey PEI

Male Goaltender:
1. Derrick-Storm Phaneuf Hockey Quebec
2. Kristian Leger Ontario Hockey Federation
3. Christopher Hartman Hockey Alberta

Female Goaltender:
1. Bianka Landry Hockey Quebec
2. Natasha Trzebinski Ontario Women’s Hockey Association
3. Laticia Castillo BC Hockey

IIHF Skills Challenge Results:

Male Player:
1. Tobias Rieder GER
2. Kiril Holub BLR
3. Thomas Spelling DEN

Female Player:
1. Isa Rahunen FIN
2. Tanja Eisenschmied GER
3. Josefine Persson DEN

Male Goaltender:
1. Jesper Sannerborg SWE
2. Rihards Cimermanis LAT
3. Philip Lehr GER

Female Goaltender:
1. Bianka Landry CAN
2. Vilma Vattovaara FIN
3. Rachel Pullen GBR

IIHF Member Federations Represented in the IIHF Skills Challenge:
Austria / Estonia / Korea / Slovenia / Bosnia & Herzegovina / Finland / Latvia / Switzerland
Belarus / Great Britain / Lithuania / Slovakia / Bulgaria / Germany / Luxembourg / Sweden
Canada / Hungary / Netherlands / TaiPei / Croatia / Iceland / New Zealand / Ukraine / Czech Republic / Italy / Portugal / Denmark / Japan / Russia

Hockey Canada worked closely with the IIHF to develop the international skills challenge which is based on five individual tests and three goaltender tests taken from Hockey Canada’s National Skills Standards and Testing Program (NSST). The tests are designed to measure skill level in a fun and easy fashion in which Minor Hockey Associations can host their own individual skills challenges.

The Canadian Skills Challenge was open to all Hockey Canada registered minor hockey players, male and female, 13 years old or younger as of (peewee age).

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Corey McNabb
Manager, Player Development

Donna Kester
Coordinator, Development