CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), announced on Friday the 40 players that will attend the Canada East evaluation camp in preparation for the 2010 World Junior A Challenge.

The evaluation camp, scheduled for October 4-5, will be held at the Iroquois Sports Centre in Whitby, Ont.

Julien Houle (Vaudreuil, LHJAAAQ), Steve Perfetto (Kingston, OJHL) and Robert Polesello (Vaughan, OJHL) have been invited to camp, but will be unable to take part due to injury. They remain under consideration for a place on the final Canada East roster, which will be named in late October.

Canada East has medaled three times at the World Junior A Challenge, winning silver in 2006 in Yorkton, Sask., and 2007 in Trail, B.C., before settling for bronze in 2009 in Camrose, Alta. It finished fourth last year in Summerside, P.E.I.

The Canada East roster is comprised of players from the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL), Central Hockey League (CHL), Ligue de hockey junior AAA du Québec (LHJAAAQ) and Maritime Hockey League (MHL).

For Canada East the evaluation camp in Whitby gives us a chance to evaluate a number of the top Junior A players in eastern Canada on the same stage,” said Canada East general manager Troy Ryan. “It gives us a terrific opportunity to evaluate these players in a best-on-best situation.”

Canada East’s evaluation camp roster includes:

• Four (4) goaltenders, 12 defensemen and 24 forwards

• Three (3) players returning from the 2009 World Junior A Challenge (Huard, Roy, Ruby)

• One (1) player drafted in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft (Hyman – Florida, 5th round, 123rd overall)

• Fourteen (14) players from the OJHL, 13 players from the CHL, five (5) players from the LHJAAAQ, five (5) players from the MHL and three (3) players from the NOJHL

CAMP SCHEDULE

Monday, October 4

9-10:15 a.m. Practice Red

10:30-11:45 a.m. Practice White

7:05 p.m. Game Red vs. White

Tuesday, October 5

9-10:15 a.m. Practice White

10:30-11:45 a.m. Practice Red

7:05 p.m. Game Red vs. White

All practices are free to attend. Tickets to the two Red-White games are available for adults at $11 per game or $15 for both games, and for students and seniors at $7 per game or $10 for both games. All minor hockey players wearing their jerseys will be admitted for only $2. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Iroquois Sports Centre.

Canada East will play in Group A at the 2010 World Junior A Challenge, joined by Sweden and the United States, while Canada West, Russia and Switzerland will comprise Group B. Round-robin play will run until Wednesday, November 10, with both semifinals taking place on Saturday, November 13. The gold medal game, which will be shown nationally on TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, is set for Sunday, November 14 (check your local listings). All preliminary round games, quarter-finals, semifinals and the bronze medal game can be seen live via webcast through FASTHockey at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com.