CALGARY, AB – Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced on Friday that defenceman Karl Alzner (Burnaby, BC/ Calgary, WHL) will serve as Canada’s captain for the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship, the 27th captain in Canada’s National Junior Team’s history.

Defenceman Logan Pyett (Milestone, SK/ Regina, WHL) and forwards Stefan Legein (Oakville, ON/ Niagara, OHL), Brad Marchand (Hammonds Plains, NS/ Val d’Or, QMJHL) and Brandon Sutter (Red Deer, AB/ Red Deer, WHL) were named alternate captains. There will only be two alternates for each game, and these four players will rotate from game to game.

Alzner is one of two players with this year’s team who won gold medals at the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship. The native of Burnaby, BC is also captain with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. His international experience also includes a 7-0-1 record during the 2007 Canada/Russia Super Series, a gold medal with the 2005 National Summer Under-18 Team and a silver medal with Team Pacific at the 2005 World Under-17 Challenge.

All four alternates, Legein, Marchand, Pyett and Sutter were members of Canada’s National Junior Team for the Super Series against Russia in August/September 2007, with Sutter serving as an alternate at that time. Marchand was a teammate of Alzner’s at the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship, capturing a gold medal.

Canada will play its first game of the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship on Boxing Day, December 26th versus the Czech Republic at 2:00pm ET.

TSN, TSN HD and TSN.ca, as well as RDS, RDS HD and RDS .ca, will have live coverage of the 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship, airing December 26 to January 5 from the Czech Republic. Coverage features 11 games, including all Team Canada matches and the medal round games. Following each Team Canada game, TSN.ca will stream a live post-game show. All games will also be available on-demand on TSN.ca throughout the duration of the tournament.

Team Canada games will also be broadcast LIVE on the FAN radio network (check local listings).

Canada has medaled in nine straight World Junior Championships including: gold medal performances in 2007, 20, silver medals in 2004, 2003, 2002, 1999 and bronze medals in 20.