NORTH YORK, ON –- Forward Hayley Wickenheiser will not participate in the 2001 IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship due to an injury she suffered on March 11, Head Coach Danièle Sauvageau announced today.

Wickenheiser, a four-time World Champion with Canada, has been listed as day-to-day since injuring her knee during the gold medal game at the Esso Women’s National Hockey Championship on in Summerside, PEI.

Wickenheiser has been undergoing treatments daily during Canada’s National Women’s Team training camp in Ontario. It was confirmed on Saturday that Wickenheiser, a native of Shaunavon, SK, would be unable to play at the World Championship in Minneapolis from April 2-8, 2001.

Wickenheiser will return to Calgary to concentrate on her rehabilitation and prepare for the 2001-2002 Olympic season.

With Wickenheiser’s injury, the roster stands at 19 players. Danièle Sauvageau announced on Saturday that forward Gina Kingsbury will be added to complete the 20-player roster. Kingsbury has been training with the team for the past week in North York, ON. The native of Rouyn-Noranda has played with Canada’s National Under 22 Team the past two seasons and was a finalist at the recent NCAA Women’s Hockey Championship with St. Lawrence University.

Canada opens the Women’s World Hockey Championship on April 2nd against Kazakhstan