CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – Canada’s National Sledge Team – the defending world and Paralympic champion – is set to take to the ice against three other teams for the 2008 World Sledge Hockey Challenge.

The event, which also includes Japan, Norway and the United States, will open on Tuesday, November 18 with a pair of games at the CARI Complex in Charlottetown. The format of the event is a four-team round-robin, followed by bronze and gold medal games.

The event opens on Tuesday with Japan taking on Norway at 4:30 p.m. AST. Team Canada opens its tournament at 7 p.m. AST against the United States.

The 2008 World Sledge Hockey Challenge includes the top four-ranked sledge hockey teams in the world, based on results at the 2008 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship, which was held in Massachusetts in April. At that event, Canada defeated Norway 3-2 in the gold medal game and the United States beat Japan 3-1 for bronze.

The World Sledge Hockey Challenge is one of a number of regular events in which Canada’s National Sledge Team participates, the others being the IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship and Paralympic Winter Games. Canada is the defending champion of the World Sledge Hockey Challenge, having won the 2007 tournament in Kelowna, BC.

All of Canada’s games, along with the bronze and gold medal games, will be available on webcast. Fans can go to www.hockeycanada.ca and follow the links for live coverage of the exciting action in Charlottetown.

Canada’s roster for the 2008 World Sledge Hockey Challenge includes 15 players who helped Canada win gold at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Italy.

Media enquiries throughout the event should be directed to Chris Jurewicz, Hockey Canada’s coordinator of media relations. He will be on site for the event and can be reached at (403) 880-5819 or [email protected].