CALGARY, Alta. – In preparation for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada’s National Women’s Team will play 30 games against Midget AAA boys teams from Alberta, it was announced by Hockey Canada on Wednesday.

The National Women’s Team Midget Series Presented by the Government of Alberta will see Canada’s National Women’s Team go up against each of the 18 teams in the Alberta Midget Hockey League. This will include a four-day tournament September 24-27 at Calgary’s Father David Bauer Olympic Arena, along with 26 other games from October 2009 to the end of January 2010.

“We’re excited today to announce a partnership between Hockey Canada and the Alberta Midget Hockey League,” says Julie Healy, director of female hockey with Hockey Canada. “The series will be an important part of the schedule for the National Women’s Team as it works toward the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.”

“The Alberta Midget Hockey League is proud of its association with Hockey Canada,” says Neil Robertson, president of the AMHL. “Our players are going to gain tremendous experience playing against the top female players in the world and we look forward to helping our Olympic athletes prepare for Vancouver.”

Thirteen of the 30 games will be played at Calgary’s Father David Bauer Olympic Arena, while the remaining 17 will be held at arenas throughout Alberta. This will give hockey fans in all regions of the province the chance to see Canada’s future Olympians.

“The Government of Alberta is thrilled to support what promises to be an exciting 30-game series,” says Lindsay Blackett, Alberta’s minister of culture and community spirit. “We encourage hockey fans in Alberta to take advantage of the opportunity to see the top Midget AAA players in the province take on the top female players in the country.”

Tickets for the National Women’s Team Midget Series are available now by logging on to www.hockeycanada.ca. Fans have the choice of buying individual game tickets or purchasing a pass that will give them access to all 13 games at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena ($40). The FDB pass also includes access to all games at the tournament from September 24-27. The first 100 people to purchase the FDB pass will also receive two tickets to the Canada-USA women’s game on December 15th at the Pengrowth Saddledome. Fans can purchase tickets by calling Hockey Canada’s head office at (403) 777-3636.

Tickets for games in other towns and cities have to be purchased at the door or by contacting the specific venues.

Canada’s National Women’s Team will play a minimum of 55 games in the lead up to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, which begin on .

DETAILS ON 2009-10 NATIONAL WOMEN’S TEAM SCHEDULE

• 30 games against Midget AAA teams
• Six-game series against the United States (three games in Canada and three games in the United States)
• Three games against Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team
• One game against a Junior A team (AJHL’s Calgary Canucks)
• International events include the 2009 Hockey Canada Cup (August 31-September 6 in Vancouver, B.C.); 2009 4 Nations Cup (November 3-8 in Finland); 2010 Olympic Winter Games (February 13-25, 2010 in Vancouver, B.C.)
• TSN/RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcaster, will televise four of these games (the gold medal game at the 2009 Hockey Canada Cup, and the Canada-United States games being held in Victoria, Calgary and Ottawa)