Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, announced on Wednesday the 22 players who will make up Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team that will compete at the 2007 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Tampere and Rauma, Finland between April 11th and 22nd.

Canada’s Under-18 team is made up of the best available players born in 1989 or later who aren’t competing in playoffs with their respective club teams. Many of the players named today will be among the top selections at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft in June.

Canada’s head coach Trent Yawney and assistant coaches Jeff Truitt (Kelowna, WHL) and Mike Stapleton (Erie, OHL) will lead the team into Finland. The coaching staff, along with Jim Hammett, Hockey Canada’s Head Scout for Men’s National Teams, worked together to finalize the roster.

Team Canada includes 13 players who were part of Canada’s Summer Under-18 team which won gold at the Junior World Cup in Slovakia and Czech Republic in August 2006.

Team Canada’s players and staff will depart for Helsinki, Finland on April 5th. There will be media availability from 11-11:30 a.m. on April 5th at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, ON. After the media availability, players and staff will take a tour of the Hall of Fame before departing for Finland. Please call Chris Jurewicz, Coordinator of Communications with Hockey Canada, at (403) 880-5819 for interviews with players and staff.

Canada’s players and staff will leave Toronto on April 5th at 5:35 p.m. on Lufthansa Flight 0471. Canada will play two exhibition games prior to the tournament, against Sweden on April 7th at 7 p.m. local time (12 p.m. ET) and against Germany on April 9th at 3 p.m. local time (8 a.m. ET).

The 2007 IIHF World Under-18 Championship kicks off on April 11th. Canada’s first game is scheduled for April 12th against Germany at 4 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET).

Interviews with players and staff during the tournament should be directed to Chris Jurewicz. He can be reached in Toronto through April 5th at (403) 880-5819 and in Finland between April 5th and 23rd at 011 358 40 856 58 16.