CALGARY, Alta. – Canada’s National Sledge Team welcomes Japan, Norway and the United States to Calgary starting Sunday, as the top four international teams go for gold at the 2012 World Sledge Hockey Challenge, taking place Dec. 2-8 at the Markin MacPhail Centre.

Canada’s National Sledge Team is looking for its fifth gold medal at the World Sledge Hockey Challenge, having won last November in Calgary, April 2011 in London, Ont., 2008 in Charlottetown, P.E.I., and 2007 in Kelowna, B.C. Canada claimed the silver medal at the 2009 tournament, also in Charlottetown.

Canada opens the 2012 World Sledge Hockey Challenge against Japan at 4 p.m. MT on Sunday, Dec. 2. The Canadians also play Norway at 12 p.m. MT on Monday, Dec. 3 and the United States at 7 p.m. MT in preliminary round action. Semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 6 at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. MT, while the puck drops Saturday, Dec. 8 at 12 p.m. MT for the bronze medal game and at 5 p.m. MT for the gold medal game.

All preliminary round games, as well as the semifinals and bronze medal game, will be webcast at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com. Fans can watch all the action for free by following three easy steps:

STEP 1: Visit hockeycanada.fasthockey.com and sign up for a free FASTHockey account.

STEP 2: Like the World Sledge Hockey Challenge on Facebook at www.facebook.com/worldsledge.

STEP 3: Just prior to the game, click the HC on FASTHockey link on the World Sledge Hockey Challenge Facebook fan page to watch.

The gold medal game of the 2012 World Sledge Hockey Challenge will be aired on TSN/RDS, official broadcasters of Hockey Canada. Please check your local listings for broadcast times in your area.

Single-game tickets are now available, with admission to the six preliminary round games and both semifinals available for just $10, while bronze and gold medal game tickets are only $12 apiece. Full-tournament ticket packages, including access to all 10 games, are available for just $40 each. Prices do not include applicable fees.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Kristen Lipscombe, Hockey Canada’s coordinator of communications, can be reached at [email protected] or (403) 826-48 World Sledge Hockey Challenge media information and event interview requests. Keegan Goodrich, Hockey Canada’s coordinator of media relations, can be reached at [email protected] or (403) 519-7554 for any interview requests with players and staff of Canada’s National Sledge Team.

For more information on the 2012 World Sledge Hockey Challenge, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca/wshc, and follow all the action from Calgary via social media at www.facebook.com/worldsledge or www.twitter.com/hc_wshc.