MARLBOROUGH, MA, USA – Canada’s National Sledge Team will face Norway in the gold medal game of the 2008 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship on Saturday, April 5th after finishing first in the Group A round robin. Canada and Norway also faced off in the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games gold medal game in Turin, Italy in March 2006, with Canada coming away with its first Paralympic gold medal on the strength of a 2-0 victory.

There is no live television or radio coverage of the 2008 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship, but there will be live online updates, along with player information, game reports, game results and photos at www.hockeycanada.ca throughout the gold medal game.

Canada has won one IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship (2000), in Salt Lake City, Utah, along with one Paralympic gold medal (2006), one Paralympic silver medal (1998) and one Paralympic bronze medal (1994). Canada finished fourth at the last IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship, held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden in 2004.

Canada has faced Norway six times during the 2007-08 season, including a 5-1 win over the Norwegians on Friday, registering five wins against just one loss, an overtime defeat in Gjovik, Norway in October. Prior to the 2008 IPC Sledge Hockey Championship, the last Canada vs. Norway game came on January 26th, when Canada won 3-2 at the at the Japan Paralympic 2008 Ice Sledge Hockey International Match.

On Friday, in its final round-robin game at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Canada jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead on the way to its fifth straight victory at this year’s world championship. Adam Dixon (Midland, ON) scored his third goal in two games, which stood up as the game-winner, while Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON), with a pair of goals, Marc Dorion (Bourget, ON) and Bradley Bowden (Orton, ON) also scored for Canada. Paul Rosen (Thornhill, ON) made nine saves for his fifth win in as many starts.

Canada’s roster at the 2008 Worlds includes 14 players who were members of Canada’s National Sledge Team at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy, winning Canada’s first gold medal in sledge hockey, and 13 members of the National Sledge Team from the 2004 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship.

Canada’s National Sledge Team maintained an 11-2 record during the 2007-08 season, including a gold medal at the Japan Paralympic 2008 Ice Sledge Hockey International Match in January.

MEDIA REQUESTS – Direct all media enquiries to André Brin, manager of communications with Hockey Canada, who is on-site with the team for the duration of the 2008 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship. Please direct all interview requests to [email protected] or by calling (403) 540-8444.

Sledge hockey is the Paralympic version of ice hockey. It made its debut at the 1994 Paralympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. The fast-paced sport has grown in popularity since then, and was very popular with fans in Torino in 2006, as Canada captured a gold medal in sledge hockey for the first time at the Paralympics.