CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, announced Thursday that Ryan Pulock (Grandview, Man./Brandon, WHL) and Hunter Shinkaruk (Calgary, Alta./Medicine Hat, WHL) have been added to Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team roster for the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World U18 Championship, currently underway in Brno and Znojmo, Czech Republic.

Canada opened the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship with a 6-1 win over Denmark on Thursday and will face the Czech Republic, Finland and the United States in the preliminary round.

Canada’s roster includes players born in 1994 or later whose teams are no longer competing in the CHL playoffs with their respective club teams. Many of the players on Canada’s roster will be among the top selections at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft in Pittsburgh, Pa., in June.

Canada’s roster now includes 10 players from the Ontario Hockey League, nine players from the Western Hockey League and three players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Seven players helped Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team capture the gold medal at the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament in August 2011 in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Canada’s roster also includes 12 players who took part in the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie, Man., and four players who competed at the 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Windsor, Ont.

Canada is a two-time gold medallist at the IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship, earning gold in 20. It finished fourth at the 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Crimmitschau and Dresden, Germany.

NOTE TO MEDIA: To contact players and/or staff for interviews while the team is overseas, please contact Cam Moon ([email protected]).

TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, will broadcast Canada’s final preliminary round game against the United States on Tuesday, April 17, as well as both semifinals on Friday, April 20 and the bronze and gold medal games on Sunday, April 22. Check your local listings for game times in your area.

FASTHockey will webcast Canada’s preliminary game on Monday, April 16 against the Czech Republic. The game is available on a pay-per-view basis at www.hockeycanada.fasthockey.com. FASTHockey had planned to webcast Canada’s game against Finland on Saturday, April 14, but due to the venue change from Brno to Breclav last week, the game may not be available.

For more information on Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team please visit www.hockeycanada.ca and follow along through social media at www.twitter.com/HockeyCanada, www.twitter.com/HC_TeamCanada and www.facebook.com/HockeyCanada.