OTTAWA, Ont. – Hockey Canada announced Thursday the roster for Canada’s National Women’s Team selection camp, taking place March 26-April 1 at Carleton University’s Ice House and the Ottawa Civic Centre in the nation’s capital, just prior to the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship in Burlington, Vt.

The 29-player camp roster includes three goaltenders, 10 defencemen and 16 forwards, including 18 returnees from the Canadian contingent that claimed silver at the 2011 IIHF World Women’s Championship in Winterthur and Zurich, Switzerland, last April.

The selection camp will include practices and exhibition games against Midget AAA boys’ teams, as well as a pre-competition game between Canada and the United States on Saturday, March 31 at 7 p.m. ET at the Ottawa Civic Centre.

Individual tickets for Canada’s game against the United States start at just $19.50 each, plus applicable fees. As a special offer, fans who purchase a full tournament package to the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship next April in Ottawa will receive a free lower bowl ticket to the pre-competition game this March 31. To purchase tickets, visit www.HockeyCanada.ca/2013Ottawa or call 613-599-FANS (3267).

At the selection camp’s conclusion on April 1, Canada’s National Women’s Team head coach Dan Church (Toronto, Ont./York University, CIS), assistant coaches Doug Derraugh (Arnprior, Ont./Cornell University, ECAC) and Danielle Goyette (St-Nazaire, Que./University of Calgary, CIS), along with head scout of national women’s team programs Melody Davidson, will select 23 players for the final roster that will compete at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship, taking place April 7-14. Canada’s National Women’s Team will also hold a pre-competition camp April 1-6 in Jay Peak, Vt.

“The 29 players invited to camp in Ottawa demonstrate a mix of talent that we believe will help us build a successful National Women's Team,” head scout Davidson said. “It will be challenging to whittle the roster down, but with the depth and skill available to us, there’s no doubt the players that are chosen to compete at this year’s world championship will make Canadians proud.”

“We’re extremely excited to hold this season’s selection camp in Ottawa, the first city to ever host a women’s world championship,” said Kalli Quinn, director of female national teams for Hockey Canada. “Canada’s capital city will see the top women’s hockey talent from across the country compete for the chance to wear red and white on the world stage.”

The puck drops on Canada’s opening game at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship, also against the United States, at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 7. TSN and RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcasters, will air all of Canada’s games, including preliminary games against Finland at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 8 and Russia at 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 10. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday, April 13 and medal matchups take place Saturday, April 14. Check your local listings for broadcast times in your area.

Veteran National Women’s Team netminder Kim St. Pierre (Chateauguay, Que./Montreal, CWHL) cannot attend selection camp because she’s a new mother, while Bobbi-Jo Slusar (Swift Current, Sask./Alberta, CWHL) and Sarah Vaillancourt (Sherbrooke, Que./Montreal, CWHL) are recovering from injuries.

The 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship is the 14th since the tournament’s 1990 inception. Canada’s National Women’s Team has appeared in every world championship gold medal game, winning nine gold medals (1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 20) and four silver (2005, 2008, 20).

NOTE TO MEDIA: Kristen Lipscombe, Hockey Canada’s coordinator of communications, will be on site with Canada’s National Women’s Team in Ottawa, Jay Peak and Burlington. Please contact her for interview requests at [email protected] or (403) 826-4819.

To stay up-to-date on Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship this April in Burlington, please follow Team Canada at www.Twitter.com/HC_TeamCanada, become a fan of Hockey Canada at www.Facebook.com/HockeyCanada and visit www.HockeyCanada.ca/NWT.