Eleven NHL Players Named to Team Canada's Roster for 2004 IIHF Men's World Hockey Championship
CALGARY, AB – Team Canada General Manager, Jim Nill, along with Team Canada Assistant GM Don Maloney (NY Rangers) and Director, Player Personnel Lanny McDonald have named 11 Canadian National Hockey League players, in their first group of player announcements, that will represent Canada at the 2004 IIHF Men’s World Hockey Championship, taking place in Prague, Czech Republic, April 24-.
Additional players will be announced within the next week and after the first round of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs.
10 of the 11 players announced today have previous international experience, and 4 of the 11 were members of Canada’s 2003 gold medal World Championship team.
The 11 players, includes two goaltenders, four defenseman and five forwards:
| Name | Position | Hometown | NHL Team (2003-2004) |
| Jean-Sebastien Giguere | Goaltender | Montreal, QC | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim |
| * Roberto Luongo | Goaltender | Montreal, QC | Florida Panthers |
| * Jay Bouwmeester | Defense | Edmonton, AB | Florida Panthers |
| Willie Mitchell | Defense | Port McNeill, BC | Minnesota Wild |
| Derek Morris | Defense | Edmonton, AB | Phoenix Coyotes |
| Nick Schultz | Defense | Strasbourg, SK | Minnesota Wild |
| * Daniel Brière | Forward | Gatineau, QC | Buffalo Sabres |
| * Dany Heatley | Forward | Calgary, AB | Atlanta Thrashers |
| Rick Nash | Forward | Brampton, ON | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| Justin Williams | Forward | Cobourg, ON | Carolina Hurricanes |
| Rob Niedermayer | Forward | Cranbrook, BC | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim |
* Member of Canada’s 2003 gold medal Men’s World Hockey Championship team.
"We are very excited with the quality of the first group of players named today that will represent Team Canada at the World Championship, "said GM, Jim Nill. “The positive responses that we have been receiving from players and NHL General Managers have been tremendous. We will continue to assemble our team, naming additional players to our roster throughout this week and after the first round of the NHL playoffs.”
Joel Quenneville will lead Canada behind the bench as Head Coach, while Mike Babcock (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim) and Tom Renney (New York Rangers) will be assistant coaches.
Canada won gold at the 2003 Men’s World Championship, as well a two gold medals in the 1990's - 1994 and again in 1997.
At this year’s Championship in Finland, Canada is in a preliminary round group with: Austria, France, and Switzerland. Canada's first game at the 2004 IIHF World Hockey Championship will take place in Prague on April 25 versus Austria.
Canada will depart for Europe on April 16 and travel to Budapest, Hungary where the team will train for four days and play one exhibition game on April 20 versus Hungary, prior to arriving in Prague for the World Championship.
The official broadcaster of the Hockey Canada, TSN/RDS, will have live TV coverage of the Men’s Worlds, beginning with Canada’s first game of the championship on April 25.
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