WINNIPEG, MANITOBA – In front of a packed crowd at École Constable Edward Finney School, the 2007 IIHF World Women's Hockey Championship revealed it’s brand new mascot today; Peggy the Polar Bear!   Ten year old Ashley Hykaway, who attends the School, was the official winner of the World Championship/Winnipeg Free Press Kids Club ‘Design a Mascot’ contest.  Her entry helped influence the mascot’s creation, and was chosen as the winner from over 100 that were sent in.

Each entry was to accompany a message of why the design and name was chosen.  Ashley’s message included the following:

‘My name is Ashley Hykaway and I am 10 years old.  I love hockey, especially women’s hockey.  I came up with the idea because of the Bears on Broadway.  Also, polar bears are winter animals and hockey is a winter sport, and I got the name from the end of Winnipeg.  The mascot loves hockey and would love to come to life and make people happy!’

As the winner of the ‘design a mascot’ contest, Ashley won the right to have the mascot’s first public appearance be at her school.  She also won a prize package including a Hockey Canada jersey, a pair of tickets to each of the games at the World Championship, along with a World Championship merchandise package.

Tickets for the 2007 IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship are currently on sale and make a great Christmas gift for hockey fans.  Tickets can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at (204) 780-3333, or by visiting www.ticketmaster.ca/iihf.

The hosting of the IIHF World Women’s Championship in Winnipeg and Selkirk, MB, will mark the fifth time that this international event has been staged in Canada and the first time it will be held in Manitoba.

Canada also hosted the IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship in 2004 (Halifax, NS), in 2000 (Mississauga, ON), in 1997 (Kitchener, ON) and in 1990 (Ottawa, ON). In 2006, there is no IIHF World Championship for women’s hockey in lieu of the Olympic Winter Games. Canada has won a gold medal at eight of the nine IIHF World Women’s Championships, the exception being a silver medal at the 2005 IIHF World Women’s Championship in Linkoping, Sweden, after losing to the USA in a shoot out.

For more information on the World Women's Hockey Championship, Hockey Canada’s National Women’s Team and Female Hockey Development Programs, visit Hockey Canada’s official website www.hockeycanada.ca.

Lisa-Marie Buccini

Communications Chair, Host Organizing Committee

2007 World Women’s Hockey Championships

(204) 291-3579

[email protected]

Greg Paseshnik

Event Manager 

2007 World Women’s Hockey Championships  

(204) 926-5727

[email protected]