CALGARY, AB -– The Canadian Hockey Association announced on Saturday that 30 elite Canadian women’s hockey players will centralize in Calgary on a full time basis beginning , in preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, USA.

The centralization roster includes all 20 members of the gold medal winning National Women’s Team at the 2001 Women’s World Hockey Championship earlier this month in Minneapolis. Twelve of the 30 players named today were members of Team Canada that won a silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics.

The coaching staff, comprised of Daniele Sauvageau, and assistant coaches Melody Davidson, Wally Kozak along with Gaëtan Robitaille, General Manager, Women’s High Performance, will work with the players on a full time basis starting in August.

"Even if we are only days removed from a thrilling win at the 2001 Worlds, the process to name our 2002 Olympic Team continues," said Danièle Sauvageau. "I am very pleased with the depth of talented players from which to name our team. We have experience, youth, skill and depth at every position."

The Centralization roster of 30 players is comprised of:
- 4 goaltenders
- 10 defenceman
- 16 forwards

Canada must name a roster of 20 players (18 skaters, 2 goalies) in January, 2002, just prior to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Canada will play numerous exhibition games from August, 2001 – January, 2002 all across Canada, as well as in the USA and Europe. Details on Canada’s training and game schedule for the 2001-2002 season will be forthcoming.

The team will get together in Calgary, AB at the CHA’s Head Office at the Father David Bauer Arena, for one week in early May, 2001. The coaching staff will utilize this time for orientation, before centralizing in early August.

The sport of women’s hockey, which made it’s debut at the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan in 1998, has seen a growth in CHA registration numbers in Canada of over 400% over the past 10 years.

CANADA'S NATIONAL WOMEN'S OLYMPIC CENTRALIZATION ROSTER