CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced on Monday the 23 players who will represent Canada at the 2009 Spengler Cup, December 26-31 in Davos, Switzerland. The roster is comprised of Canadian-born players currently playing in Europe, along with NHL prospects loaned to Hockey Canada from National Hockey League teams.

The team was selected by Johnny Misley, Hockey Canada’s executive vice-president of hockey operations, along with head coach Craig MacTavish (London, Ont.) and assistant coaches Doug Shedden (Wallaceburg, Ont.) and Sean Simpson (Brampton, Ont.).

“The players we have selected today are Canadian ambassadors for the game in Europe, and we are thrilled they have committed to wear the maple leaf and try to bring home another Spengler Cup championship for Canada,” says Misley. “We are especially appreciative of the support from NHL teams that recognize this tremendous development opportunity for their younger players.”

In addition, Serge Aubin (Val-d’Or, Que.) has been named Canada’s captain for the 2009 Spengler Cup, while Shawn Heins (Eganville, Ont.) and Stacy Roest (Lethbridge, Alta.) will serve as alternates.

Canada’s roster for the 2009 Spengler Cup includes seven players who were part of last year’s team, which lost the championship game to Russia’s Moscow Dynamo (Aubin, DuPont, Heins, Jackman, Robitaille, Roest, Vigier), three players who have seen action for Canada at the IIHF World Championship (Brown, DuPont, Tremblay) and eight players who represented Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship (Bell, Brown, Daigle, Devereaux, Holden, Jackman, LeNeveu, Rivers).

This year’s Spengler Cup will include Canada’s National Men’s Team, Adler Mannheim (Germany), HC Dynamo Minsk (Belarus), HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic) and HC Davos (Switzerland), the host team.

All of Canada’s games at the 2009 Spengler Cup will be broadcast on Rogers Sportsnet (check your local listings for game times).

Canada has appeared in eight of the last nine championship games, winning the Spengler Cup in 2002, 20. Overall, Canada’s National Men’s Team has won the Spengler Cup 11 times (1984, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2007), since first taking part in the tournament in 1984.

The Spengler Cup, held annually since 1923, is the oldest professional international hockey tournament in the world.

For more information on Canada’s National Men’s Team and the 2009 Spengler Cup, visit hockeycanada.ca.