CALGARY – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), announced on Friday a pre-tournament schedule consisting of five games in preparation for the 2009 World Junior A Challenge, which will be held Nov. 1-8, 2009 in Summerside, P.E.I.

The five games will be held on October 29 and 30 in five communities across two Maritime provinces: Amherst, N.S., Charlottetown, P.E.I., Montague, P.E.I., O’Leary, P.E.I. and Truro, N.S. The games will feature five of the six teams taking part in the 2009 World Junior A Challenge, as well as a team of Maritime Junior A Hockey League (MJAHL) all-stars.

2009 WORLD JUNIOR A CHALLENGE PRE-TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE AND

Thursday, Oct. 29

7 p.m. AT – Canada West vs. Belarus – Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Tickets are on sale for $11 beginning Oct. 13 at the Charlottetown Civic Center.

7:30 p.m. AT – Canada East vs. MJAHL All-Stars – Truro, N.S.

Tickets are on sale for $11 beginning Oct. 15 at MacQuarries Pharmasave.

Friday, Oct. 30

7:30 p.m. AT – Belarus vs. MJAHL All-Stars – Amherst, N.S.

Tickets are on sale for $11 beginning Oct. 15 at Amherst Pharmasave.

7:30 p.m. AT – Canada East vs. Russia – O’Leary, P.E.I.

Tickets are on sale for $11 beginning Oct. 15 at Vinny’s Coffee and Pizza Shop and Greco Pizza in Bloomfield.

8 p.m. AT – Canada West vs. United States – Montague, P.E.I.

Tickets are on sale for $11 beginning Oct. 15 at Baker’s Corner Express and Big Dog Convenience locations.

Also, both Canadian teams have announced additions to their coaching staffs. Troy Ryan of the MJAHL’s Halifax Lions, who was an assistant coach with Canada East in 2006, 20, has joined the Canada East staff as an assistant coach, while Jomar Cruz of the MJHL’s OCN Blizzard has been named the video coach with Canada West.

The 2009 World Junior A Challenge will follow the same format as previous years – two Canadian entries will be joined by four international teams, with two groups of three teams. The group winners will receive an automatic bye to the semifinals, while the second and third place teams will crossover for the quarter-finals. All 13 games of the 2009 World Junior A Challenge will take place at Credit Union Place, home of the MJAHL’s Summerside Western Capitals.

Ticket packages for the 2009 World Junior A Challenge can be purchased at the box office at Credit Union Place, by phone at 902-432-1234 or online HERE. All preliminary round games, quarter-finals, semifinals and the bronze medal game can be seen live via webcast through FASTHockey at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com.