LONDON, Ont. – The top four sledge hockey nations in the world – Canada, Japan, Norway and the United States – are gathering in London this weekend for the 2011 World Sledge Hockey Challenge, which opens Monday at the Western Fair Sports Centre.

The four teams competing at the World Sledge Hockey Challenge, which runs from April 18-23, are the top four finishers from last year’s Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. The U.S. won Paralympic gold, followed by Japan, Norway and Canada.

Canada’s National Sledge Team won gold at the World Sledge Hockey Challenge in 2007 in Kelowna, B.C. and 2008 in Charlottetown, P.E.I., before settling for silver at the 2009 event in Charlottetown, losing to the U.S. in overtime in the gold medal game.

Single-game tickets are now available for $9 (preliminary round) and $11 (medal round). A full, 10-game event package is available for $60, a savings of more than $30 over walk-up prices. In addition, team packages of 20 tickets can be purchased for individual games for $120. A four-game medal round package is also available for $40, which includes tickets to both semifinals on April 22, as well as the bronze medal game and nationally-televised gold medal game on April 23.

Tickets can be purchased online by visiting the official 2011 World Sledge Hockey Challenge website at www.hockeycanada.ca/wshc, or at the Western Fair Sports Centre box office.

All games at the 2011 World Sledge Hockey Challenge, except for the gold medal game, will be available via webcast through FASTHockey at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com for $7 per game. The gold medal game on April 23 will be shown on TSN2 and RDS. Check local listings for broadcast times in your area.