TORONTO ()—The World Cup of Hockey (WCH) 2004 Organizing Committee announced today that world-renowned architect and designer Frank Gehry has created the new WCH 2004 Championship Trophy. Gehry presented his latest creation to WCH 2004 Organizing Committee members Ted Saskin and Ken Yaffe at the Hockey Hall of Fame this morning.

Gehry, a Toronto native and life-long hockey fan, was approached by the WCH Organizing Committee last year to create a new trophy for the upcoming tournament that would reflect the global spirit of the game. The trophy will be awarded to the winning team September 14

"I was raised with it (hockey)," Gehry explained. "We were a poor family so the only thing I could do was listen to Foster Hewitt on Saturday night. It is because of my interest in hockey that I was even interested in designing the trophy. I think my understanding of the game and what trophies mean to players, and to the fans, made it a very important assignment.”

The trophy is comprised of four components: a base, pedestal, cup and shell. It's made from a composite alloy of copper and nickel as well as solid cast urethane. The pedestal and base provide support or a "stage" for the shell and cup. The cup sits inside the trophy and is removable from the top of the shell for engraving and display purposes. The shell is made of an array of twisted rectangular shapes sitting on end that are reminiscent of skate marks in the ice. Water-clear urethane was used to give the trophy an “ice-like” appearance and Stereo Lithography Apparatus (SLA) was used to precisely shape the components into a multi-dimensional puzzle.

"I've seen all of the [NHL] trophies,” he said. “They are all very traditional. I think the one thing about the first World Cup of Hockey trophy is that it broke from tradition and it opened the door for us to do a new one.”

The Canadian-born designer has won more than 100 awards from the American Institute of Architects. In 1989, he was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, perhaps the premier accolade in architecture, honoring "significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture." Gehry Partners, LLP is a full service firm located in Los Angeles, Calif., with broad international experience in museum, theater, performance, academic, and commercial projects. Gehry, a world-renowned architect who has built a career that has spanned four decades has produced public and private buildings in the United States, Europe and Asia.

The WCH 2004 tournament takes place in Europe and North America from August 30 to September 14. Czech Republic, Finland, Germany and Sweden will compete in the European Pool, while Canada, Russia, Slovakia and the defending World Cup champion United States will play in the North American Pool. The World Cup of Hockey 2004 is a joint venture between the NHLPA and NHL, in cooperation with the IIHF. Log on to WCH2004.com for more details on the tournament, including ticket information.