CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, Halifax Mooseheads and Trade Centre Limited, announced Friday the 2012 Canada-Russia Challenge, with two of four games to be played Monday, August 13 and Tuesday, August 14 at the Halifax Metro Centre in Halifax, N.S.

The first two games will take place in Yaroslavl, Russia, on Thursday, August 9 and Friday, August 10, with the 2012 Canada-Russia Challenge being held to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series. The event will replace this season’s Canada’s National Junior Team Summer Development Camp and will serve as part of player evaluations for the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship, scheduled for to in Ufa, Russia.

More than 30 players, born in 1993 or later, will be selected to play for Canada at the 2012 Canada-Russia Challenge. Kevin Prendergast, head scout of the men’s Program of Excellence for Hockey Canada, along with the team’s coaching staff, will continue to monitor those players and other potential candidates during regular season competition to determine who will be invited to Canada’s National Junior Team Selection Camp in December. In total, 22 players will be selected to represent Canada at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.

“Hockey Canada is happy to bring the 2012 Canada-Russia Challenge to Halifax, a hockey town with a proven track record of going above and beyond when hosting international events,” said Bob Nicholson, president and CEO of Hockey Canada. “This will be a truly memorable way to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series.”

Two-game ticket packages for the Halifax leg of the series will go on sale Friday, May 18 at noon AT for $86, plus applicable fees. They are available by going to www.HockeyCanada.ca/Challenge, stopping by the Ticket Atlantic box office at the Halifax Metro Centre promenade via Carmichael and Duke streets, or by calling the box office at (902) 451-1221 or toll free at 1-877-451-1221.

“Halifax and Nova Scotia have a history of hosting international hockey events that have set new records for attendance and viewership,” said Scott Ferguson, president and CEO of Trade Centre Limited. “We are very pleased that Hockey Canada has chosen to partner with us once again. Nova Scotia is the ideal backdrop for this commemorative event, which is sure to generate excitement among fans from around the world.”

The 2012 Canada-Russia Challenge will also pay tribute to the city of Yaroslavl, the Kontinental Hockey League’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, which saw most of its team members and staff perish in a plane crash Sept., and Team Canada alumnus Brad McCrimmon, who was coaching the Russian team at the time and died in the crash.

More details on the two games in Halifax, including information on coaching staff, the roster and media accreditation, will be released in the near future.

For more information on Hockey Canada, its teams, events and programs, please visitwww.HockeyCanada.ca.

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