CALGARY, AB – Canada’s National Men’s Hockey Team announced on Monday its rosters for both the Swiss Challenge, a game versus the Swiss National Team on November 9 in Kreuzlingen, SUI, and the Deutschland Cup which runs November 11-14 in Hanover, Germany.

Canada will play a total of 4 games during this time, with the record from all four games (1 game at Swiss Challenge, and 3 games at Deutschland Cup) being counted towards the standings for the Deutschland Cup.

Canada will field essentially a different roster for both of these events, with only eight players playing at both the Swiss Challenge and Deutschland Cup for Canada. 

The main reason for Team Canada using different rosters for these two events is one of Canada’s National Men’s Team mandates for the 2005-2006 season is to evaluate as many players as possible that are playing in Europe as Canada looks to identify potential players for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, with the uncertainty of NHL participation.  Additionally, Canada’s roster for the Swiss Challenge game on Nov. 9, made up mainly of Canadian players playing in Switzerland, will be used as an evaluation for both the Spengler Cup, as well as for 2006.  For the Spengler Cup, which takes place in Davos, SUI from Dec. 24-31, 2004, Canada mainly uses players playing in Switzerland as the Swiss League is the only European league that breaks during the Dec. 24-31 time period. Canada may also name some AHL players to round out its Spengler Cup roster in December.

Marc Habsheid is the Head Coach of Canada’s National Men’s Hockey Team, and will lead Canada behind the bench at both events.  Brad McCrimmon and Serge Boisvert will be Habscheid’s assistant coaches at both the Swiss Challenge and Deutschland Cup.  Larry Huras will join the coaching staff as an assistant coach for the Swiss Challenge game, while Rich Chernomaz will join Canada’s coaching staff as assistant coach for the Deutschland Cup.

Scott Salmond is Team Canada’s manager, and has worked closely with Habscheid over the past few weeks in assembling Canada’s roster for these events.  Salmond will be the team’s media contact at both events and can be reached at: Nov. 7-10   (011) 41 78 776 3192 and Nov. 10 - 15 (011) 49 1520 279 8040.