CALGARY, AB – Hockey Canada, along with the Canadian Hockey Foundation, has announced that members of Canada’s 1976 Canada Cup-winning team will be coming together in Halifax, NS for a reunion during the upcoming 2008 IIHF World Championship.

Eighteen members of the 1976 team – widely thought of as the greatest hockey team ever assembled – are enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Many greats, including Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull, Bobby Clarke, Darryl Sittler, Danny Gare, Lanny McDonald, Denis Potvin, Bill Barber, Reggie Leach, Jimmy Watson and Peter Mahovlich are already confirmed for the event. Coaching greats Scotty Bowman and Nova Scotia’s own Al MacNeill will also be taking part in the festivities. A number of other players may confirm their attendance, pending results of the NHL playoffs.

The highlight of the reunion is a ‘Lunch with the Legends’ on May 6th. The luncheon, which is open to the public, is in support of the Canadian Hockey Foundation, with proceeds going to help grassroots hockey across the country. Those present will have a chance to meet some of Canada’s hockey greats, while bidding on unique hockey items and ultimately helping the development and growth of hockey in Canada.

The team will be honoured on the ice at Halifax Metro Centre during the first intermission of the Canada-USA game on May 6th, following the luncheon.

The reunion will also serve as an introduction of the newly-formed Team Canada Alumni Association (TCAA). A collaborative effort between Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey Foundation and those who have represented Canada in international competition, the TCAA is a link between Hockey Canada and its most valued assets, its alumni.

“Our recent gold medal successes would not have been possible without the efforts of all those who blazed many difficult trails over the years, helping build Canada’s incomparable international hockey resume,” said Bob Nicholson, president and CEO of Hockey Canada. “It is vital that we continue to honour and celebrate our rich hockey traditions and work together within this new hockey community to ensure a better game for us all.”

LUNCH WITH THE LEGENDS TICKETS
For luncheon ticket information, as well as corporate table sales and sponsorship opportunities, call 902-422-6277, ex. 4. Individual event ticket sales will be announced at a later date.

For the first time in the 100-year history of the International Ice Hockey Federation, the IIHF World Championship comes to Canada from May 2nd to 18th in Halifax, NS and Quebec City, QC.