CALGARY - Canadian Hockey announced today that the national hockey team's last
11 game of the 1995-96 season will take the squad through the Toronto region, Eastern and Northern Ontario,
and Quebec from March 22 to .
The national team's final domestic tour begins in Brampton, Ontario, on Friday, March 22 in the first of a
four-game series against the Czech Republic, and wraps-up in a series versus the Russians in Rouyn-Noranda,
Quebec on Sunday, April 7.
The nine other games will take the 1996 World Championship Canadian hopefuls to New Market and Renfrew
against the Czechs, and to Waterloo for the Father David Bauer Cup international tournament. Canada will then
meet Russia's national squad in Northern Ontario's Sudbury, Timmins and Kirkland Lake communities.
Tom Renney, Canada's national team coach, is looking forward to his squad's final 11 games to continue the
coaching staff's evaluation of his player personnel and to scout two of Canada's key opponents at the
up-coming World Championship in Vienna, Austria from April 21 to May 5.
"We've had a challenging 1995-96 season that has seen us travel three times Europe and twice in Western
Canada," noted Renney of the national team's 24 wins, 11 losses and four ties record. "We now have to
concentrate on the world championship in terms of what player personnel it will take for us to win, and what
kind of teams the opposition will be putting together."
"Our final 11-game schedule across Ontario and Quebec will most probably be the most competitive this
season," noted Renney. "We know that both the Czech Republic and Russia will be evaluating their own players
for the world championship. So there will not only be high intensity between the teams, but all the players
will be keen on impressing their coaches to be on the final roster."
When Canada's national team brings international hockey to Canadian communities, they bring more than a
hockey game - they bring grassroots development. The Canadian Hockey Festival for the upcoming tours will
include coach and referee clinics, guest coach, trainer and referee programs and the Experience a Dream
program. Every minor hockey player in the community has the opportunity to be a member of Team Canada for the
day by filling out a ballot form at their local Esso dealer.
The Canadian national team's final 11-game domestic tour is as follows:
March 22 - Canada vs Czech Republic, 8 p.m., Brampton, Ontario
March 23 - Canada vs Czech Republic, TBA, Ontario
March 25 - Canada vs Czech Republic, 7:30 p.m. New Market, Ontario
March 26 - Canada vs Czech Republic, 7:30 p.m., Renfrew, Ontario
Father David Bauer Cup
March 28 - Canada vs Russia, 8 p.m., Waterloo, Ontario
March 29 - Russia vs Czech Republic, 8 p.m., Waterloo, Ontario
March 30 - Canada vs Czech Republic, 1 p.m., Waterloo, Ontario
March 31 - Final, , Waterloo, 8 p.m., Ontario
April 2 - Canada vs Russia, 7 p.m., Sudbury, Ontario
April 4 - Canada vs Russia, 7:30 p.m., Timmins, Ontario
April 6 - Canada vs Russia, 7 p.m., Kirkland Lake, Ontario
April 7 - Canada vs Russia, 7:30 p.m., Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec