CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has announced that its newest national team, Canada’s National Sledge Development Team, will take to the ice for its inaugural games when it takes on the United States’ development team in a three-game series, December 2-4 in Buffalo, N.Y.

Canada’s National Sledge Development Team was created to help elite-level sledge hockey players not chosen for Canada’s National Sledge Team an opportunity to get international experience with hopes of developing their skills for future national team duty.

HCanada will be lead by head coach Todd Sargeant (London, Ont.), a long-time coach with Sledge Team Ontario and the London Blizzard of the Ontario Sledge Hockey Association.

“We feel this program is just another step in the growth of sledge hockey in Canada,” said Adam Crockatt, manager of hockey operations/national teams for Hockey Canada. “We can now reach out to an even larger group of players, get them involved in the national program and have them ready to step into the national team in future seasons.”

Following the three-game series in Buffalo, Canada and the U.S. will meet for another series, January 13-15 in Essex, Ont.