MONTREAL, QC – The Canadian Hockey Association, in cooperation with Procter and Gamble, the Montreal Canadiens, the Quebec Centre of Excellence and Hockey Quebec, announced on Friday the agenda and a number of confirmed speakers for the upcoming 2002 Play Right International Coaches Conference July 4-7, 2002 in Montreal, QC.

The University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), located in the heart of downtown Montreal, will be the site of this cutting edge coaching conference. Coaches at all levels of hockey, from grassroots to the professional ranks, will travel from across Canada and around the world to attend the conference and rub shoulders with some of the greatest hockey minds in the game today.

The organizers have assembled an impressive group of speakers. To date, the host committee has confirmed Mike Johnston, assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks and former Canadian National Team head coach, Andy Moog, former NHL goaltender and goaltender consultant for the Canadian National Junior Team and Vancouver Canucks, Pierre Boivin, President of the Montreal Canadiens, Andy Murray, head coach for the Los Angeles Kings, Danièle Sauvageau, gold medal winning head coach with Canada's women's Olympic team and Wayne Fleming, vice president of hockey with the Canadian Hockey Association and associate coach of Canada's gold medal winning men's Olympic Team.

Other confirmed speakers include Scott Livingston, Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Montreal Canadiens, Dusan Benicky, assistant coach of the Slovakian Olympic Team, Barry Smith, assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings, Alpo Suhonen, former head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, Guy Charron, assistant coach for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Jean Beliveau, Montreal Canadiens legend, Wayne Halliwell, Canadian National Team Sport Psychologist, Brad McCrimmon, Calgary Flames Assistant Coach and Ken Hitchcock, Olympic Team Associate Coach.

"We're extremely excited about the lineup of speakers we have already been able to confirm for this Coaches Conference," said Johnny Misley, Director, Development at the CHA. "This is an incredible opportunity for coaches at all levels to improve themselves and to learn from some of the greatest minds in the hockey world."

Topics of the presentations will range from Fleming's address on "The Preparation to Succeed at the Olympic Games" to Canucks Assistant Coach Mike Johnston speaking on "Righting the Ship - Keeping your team focused on success" and Strength and Conditioning Coach Livingston presenting "Off-ice Training for Goaltenders".

Invitations have been extended to the 57-member International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), including the "Big Six" from Canada, the United States, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Russia and Finland. This will be the 8th such Coaching Conference that Canada has hosted. Calgary hosted the first four in 1989, 1990, 19. Toronto hosted the Conference in 1996, Saint John served as host in 1998 and Vancouver raised the bar in 2000 by hosting the conference for over 500 coaches.

To sign up for the Play Right International Coaches Conference, at a cost of $370.00 per person, call the Quebec Centre of Excellence at 1-514-925-2245 or e-mail [email protected]