SCORE BOARD

CALGARY, AB – Hockey Canada, along with the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), announced on Thursday that Benoit Groulx (Gatineau, QC) has stepped down from his position as head coach of Canada’s 2009 National Junior Team to accept a coaching position in professional hockey.

Hockey Canada and the CHL, through the Program of Excellence Policy Committee, will now undertake the process of naming a replacement for Groulx.

The policy committee, comprised of Hockey Canada and CHL representatives, will be doing its due diligence through this process, with the goal of making the decision that gives Canada its best chance at succeeding at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, ON.

The Program of Excellence Policy Committee has not set a timeline for this decision and will be not be commenting further at this time. The 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship will run from to in Ottawa.