CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced Tuesday the 23 players that have been selected for Canada’s National Women’s Team for the 2012 4 Nations Cup, taking place November 6-10 in Kerava and Tikkurila, Finland.

Canada’s roster for the 2012 4 Nations Cup includes three goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards, who were selected following Canada’s National Women’s Team September Camp/Fall Festival, which took place Sept. 22-29 in Calgary, Alta.

The 2012 4 Nations Cup will bring together four top women’s hockey countries in the world - Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States – for the 17th annual international tournament. Canada’s National Women’s Team has won the gold medal at the event a total of 12 times, and has claimed silver on four occasions.

Canada’s National Women’s Team for the 2012 4 Nations Cup includes:

• 21 members of Canada’s National Women’s Team that won gold at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship in Burlington, Vt. (Agosta, Apps, Bendus, Birchard, Bonhomme, Bram, Hefford, Irwin, Jenner, Johnston, Labonté, Lacasse, Larocque, Mikkelson, Ouellette, Poulin, Spooner, Szabados, Wakefield, Ward and Wickenheiser);
• 13 members of Canada’s gold medal-winning team from the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. (Agosta, Apps, Bonhomme, Hefford, Irwin, Johnston, Labonté, Mikkelson, Ouellette, Poulin, Szabados, Ward and Wickenheiser);
• 17 players who represented Canada at the 2012 4 Nations Cup in Nyköping, Sweden (Agosta, Apps, Bendus, Birchard, Hefford, Irwin, Jenner, Johnston, Labonté, Larocque, Ouellette, Poulin, Slusar, Spooner, Szabados, Wakefield and Wickenheiser).

"As always, there are no easy decisions when it comes to naming the roster for Team Canada, but we believe we’ve assembled a strong team for this year’s 4 Nations Cup,” said Dan Church, head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team. “There is a good mix of veterans and young players. We look forward to seeing all of them represent Canada in November.”

Church will be joined behind the bench at the 2012 4 Nations Cup by assistant coaches Danielle Goyette (St-Nazaire, Que./University of Calgary, CIS) and Lisa Haley (Westville, N.S./Ryerson University, CIS), who also served alongside him at Canada’s National Women’s Team September Camp/Fall Festival.

The 2012 4 Nations Cup will serve as an evaluation opportunity for Canada’s National Women’s Team coaching staff and Hockey Canada scouts, led by head scout of women’s national team programs Melody Davidson, for the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship in Ottawa, Ont., and 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Players will continue to be evaluated with their club teams during the 2012-13 season.

The 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship, taking place April 2-9 at SBP Arena and the Nepean Sportsplex, will mark the sixth time Canada has hosted the tournament. Canada also hosted in 1990 in Ottawa, 1997 in Kitchener, Ont., 2000 in Mississauga, Ont., 2004 in Halifax, N.S., and 2007 in Winnipeg, Man. The host committee is still recruiting volunteers for the event; please visit www.hockeycanada.ca/2013ottawa for more information.

Ticket packages for the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship are on sale now and include 12 games at SBP Arena, home of the Ottawa Senators, all Team Canada games and all medal round games. For more ticket information, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca/2013ottawa, and to purchase 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship ticket packages, please CLICK HERE.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Francis Dupont, Hockey Canada’s manager of media relations, will be on site at the 2012 4 Nations Cup in Kerava and Tikkurila, Finland. He will be handling all interview requests and can be reached at [email protected].

For more information on Canada’s National Women’s Program and Hockey Canada, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca/nwt, or follow along through social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hockeycanada and www.twitter.com/hc_teamcanada.