TURIN, ITALY – Canada’s Women’s Olympic Hockey Team has successfully defended Olympic gold, defeating Sweden in the Olympic Gold Medal game 4-1 on Monday, in Turin, Italy.

With the gold medal, Canada also moved into 1st place in IIHF World Rankings. Canada and the U.S. were tied going into the 2006 Olympics Winter Games.

Canada dominated the first period, outshooting Sweden 11-2, and scoring twice. Gillian Apps (Unionville, ON/Dartmouth College, ECAC) and Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, QC/Minnesota-Duluth, WCHA) beat Sweden’s netminder Kim Martin. Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON/Dartmouth College, ECAC) and Jayna Hefford (Kingston, ON/Brampton Thunder, NWHL) doubled the lead in the second as Canada held a 22-5 shot advantage after forty minutes of play.

Sweden replied with a powerplay goal in the third period, as Gunilla Anderson’s shot from the point eluded Charline Labonté. But the final result was never in doubt, as Canada skated to a 4-1 win, and a second consecutive Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey.

The bronze medal went to the USA, who defeated Finland 4-0 earlier in the day in the bronze medal game.

All the players and most members of the staff with Canada’s Women’s Olympic Hockey Team will be remaining in Turin, through the closing ceremonies. Most of the players and staff will be returning to Canada on February 27th, and further details will be released later this week.

For all media requests between now and the team’s return to Canada on February 27th, communicate with Sean Kelso at 011-39-335-872-2794 or via e-mail at [email protected] . Requests from media on-site and accredited for the Olympic Winter Games will take precedence.

Due to the amount of expected media demands on-site, phone interviews with players with off-site media may have to be limited. Please take note, as well, of the time difference between Canada and Italy which ranges between five and ten hours difference. For this reason, the window of opportunity for phone interviews will be very limited.

Women’s hockey has been an Olympic event since the 1998 Olympic Winter Games. Canada captured silver at the inaugural women’s hockey event in Nagano, Japan in 1998, and gold at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.

TOURNAMENT DIRECTORATE BEST PLAYER AWARDS

/ PRIX DE MEILLEURES JOUEUSES DU DIRECTORAT DE TOURNOI

BEST GOALTENDER/MEILLEURE GARDIENNE DE BUT:  KIM MARTIN (SWE)

BEST DEFENCEMAN/MEILLEURE DÉFENSEURE: ANGELA RUGGIERO (USA)

BEST FORWARD/MEILLEURE ATTAQUANTE: HAYLEY WICKENHEISER (CAN)

MEDIA ALL-STAR TEAM/ÉQUIPE D'ÉTOILES DES MÉDIAS

GOALTENDER/GARDIENNE DE BUT: KIM MARTIN (SWE)

DEFENCE/DÉFENSE:  ANGELA RUGGIERO (USA); CARLA MACLEOD (CAN)

FORWARDS/ATTAQUANTES:

MARIA ROOTH (SWE); HAYLEY WICKENHEISER (CAN); GILLIAN APPS (CAN)

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER/JOUEUSE LA PLUS UTILE:  HAYLEY WICKENHEISER (CAN)