(MONTREAL, QC.) For the 5th consecutive year, ITECH and Hockey Canada are inviting children from across Canada to draw an original Canadian-themed mask design that will be worn by Team Canada’s goaltenders during the upcoming 2008 IIHF World Junior Championship in Liberec and Pardubice, Czech Republic.

Based on the past success of the Design-A-Mask contest, which produced unique designs worn by the likes of Marc-André Fleury, Justin Pogge and Jeff Glass, this season’s competition will again generate two winners; one for the 13-and-Older category, and one for the 12-and-Under age group.

Apart from the thrill of having their designs chosen by the hockey industry’s top goaltender aficionados and worn by Team Canada’s netminders, the two contest winners will also receive their very own duplicate, custom-painted ITECH mask, which will be autographed by members of Canada’s National Junior Team.

To participate in the Design-A-Mask contest, contestants must be Canadian residents 18 years old or younger. All entries must reflect Canadian themes and include the Hockey Canada logo. To download the official Design-A-Mask contest template, participants must visit hockeycanada.ca or itech.com. All completed templates must then be mailed back to ITECH between now and November 12th, 2007. Winners will be contacted and announced in early December.

The Design-A-Mask contest is part of Hockey Canada’s kick off to the hockey season, Puck Drop ’07, running September 8th to October 14th. Puck Drop ’07 is a national initiative led by Hockey Canada with participation from its 13 provincial Branches, minor hockey associations and partners to celebrate the start of the 2007-08 hockey season! Each year 550,000 registered players’ lace up the skates to participate in hockey in Canada. In fact, on an annual basis, Hockey Canada welcomes close to 80,000 new participants including players, coaches and officials.

About Hockey Canada

Hockey Canada is the sole governing body for amateur hockey in Canada, including overseeing the national development programs for minor hockey coaches, officials and players across the country, as well as the operation of Canada’s men’s and women’s national teams and national and international hockey events held in Canada.

About Mission-ITECH Hockey

Created in May of 2004 following the merger of Mission Hockey and I-TECH Sport Products Inc., Mission-ITECH Hockey Ltd. has quickly become a top-tier, trend-setting hockey equipment manufacturer that competes on the global market through its central headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. With two well-known and widely respected hockey brands, Mission and ITECH, the company boasts a long list of impressive professional athlete endorsements and league designations such as The Official Visor and Goalie Mask of the NHL and The Exclusive Facial Protection of Hockey Canada.