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Melody Davidson Named General Manager and Head Coach of Canada's Women's High Performance Program for Next Four Years

NR.071.06
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May 16, 2006
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CALGARY – Hockey Canada announced on Monday that Melody Davidson, Head Coach of Canada’s 2006 Olympic gold medal winning team in Turin, Italy, has agreed to a new four year contract with Canada’s Women’s High Performance Program as General Manager and Head Coach.

Davidson will work closely with Julie Healy, Hockey Canada’s Director, Female Hockey.  Healy oversees all of Hockey Canada’s Women’s Hockey Programs, including both development and high performance operations. Davidson, who will manage the day to day operations of Canada’s Women’s High Performance Program, including Canada’s National Under-22 and Under-18 women’s teams for the next four seasons (2006-2010), will be responsible for leading Canada’s women’s hockey player personnel and coach development during this term.

Davidson will be Canada’s National Women’s team Head Coach for some of the team’s international events leading up to the start of the 2009 season, including the 2007 IIHF World Women’s Championship taking place next April in Winnipeg and Selkirk, Manitoba.   A final decision on whether Davidson will return to her full-time duties as Canada’s Head Coach for the 2010 Olympics will be made prior to the start of the 2009 season, as part of Hockey Canada’s on-going coach development and evaluation plan.

Davidson, a native of Oyen, Alberta, has a wealth of international experience with Canada’s National women’s team program having served in various coaching, scouting, hockey development and coach mentorship capacities with the women’s program for the past 14 seasons.

Davidson, a Level 4 coach through Hockey Canada’s National Coaching Certification Program, has been Canada’s National Women’s Team Head Coach for three seasons: 2005-06, 2004--2000.  Her Head Coach resume includes capturing Olympic gold in 2006, a silver medal at the 2005 World Women’s Championship and a gold medal with the 2000 World Championship team.  Davidson was Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s Under-22 team in 1998-99.  As an assistant coach, Davidson was a member of Canada’s 2002 gold medal winning Women’s Olympic Hockey Team in Salt Lake City, and served as an assistant coach during the 2000--94 seasons winning World Championship gold medals both years as well as at the 2000 Four Nations Cup and the 1996 Pacific Rim.

Davidson was based at Cornell University as Head Coach for three seasons, a position she has resigned from to take this new full-time opportunity with Hockey Canada to lead its women’s High Performance Programs for the next four years.

"I am very excited for this opportunity to work with Canada’s Women’s High Performance Program for the next four years as the General Manager and Head Coach," said Davidson. "The growth of the female game in our country continues each year, and through the Under-22 and Under-18 programs, we will continue to identify and train future national team players and Olympians as we head towards 2010 and beyond. “

Davidson worked with Hockey Alberta, one of Hockey Canada’s 13 Branches, in 2000-01 as the coaching development coordinator. She also served as the Head Coach of women's ice hockey at Connecticut College from 1997-2000.  She served as an assistant coach with the NWHL’s Edmonton Chimos in 1996-97 when the squad won a gold medal at the 1997 Esso Women's National Hockey Championship and coached Team Alberta at the Canada Winter Games in 1995.

A 1986 graduate of the University of Alberta, Davidson has a bachelor's degree in physical education. She also holds several coaching certificates and received a national coaching diploma from the University of Calgary in 1996.

“We are excited to have Melody back leading our women’s high performance program through to Vancouver in 2010," said Johnny Misley, Hockey Canada’s Vice-president of Hockey Operations. “Her new role will be critical to ensure our national team program continues to improve so we remain the number one nation in women’s hockey.”

For more information on the Canada’s National Women’s Team or Hockey Canada, please visit the official web site at www.hockeycanada.ca

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

[email protected] 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

[email protected]

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

[email protected]

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