May 12, 2010
NR.067

HOCKEY CANADA TO HOLD NATIONAL WOMEN’S PROGRAM
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING CAMP IN CALGARY

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced Wednesday a list of 109 players identified for a strength and conditioning camp that will take place from May 25-30 at the University of Calgary.

Invitations were made based on evaluations done throughout the 2009-10 season by Hockey Canada’s regional scouts and the coaching staffs of Canada’s National Women’s Team, National Women’s Under-22 Team and National Women’s Under-18 Team. Those who were chosen to attend the off-ice camp were evaluated while they played with their club teams in-season, as well as at various national camps and events.

The list of 109 players consists of 19 goaltenders, 33 defencemen and 57 forwards, many who have participated in Hockey Canada’s senior women’s, under-22 and under-18 programs. Invitees include Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont.), Jocelyne Larocque (Ste. Anne, Man.) and Jennifer Wakefield (Pickering, Ont.), who were all centralized with the National Women’s Team for the 2009-10 season. They were released from the team before the roster for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. was announced.

The list of players also includes 20 members of Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team, which beat Switzerland to win gold at the MLP Cup this January in Ravensburg, Germany, as well as 17 members of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, which beat the United States 5-4 in overtime on April 3 to win its first gold medal at the IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship.

The 21 members of Canada’s Olympic roster, as well as any senior program athletes who have been centralized with the National Women’s Team more than once, are not required to attend this camp.

The camp will consist of five days of off-ice fitness training and is considered an important first step in identifying this country’s future women’s hockey stars, including those who could be in the running to represent Canada at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

The camp is a closed event. For more information on Canada’s National Women’s Team, National Women’s Under-22 Team and National Women’s Under-18 Team, go to www.hockeycanada.ca.