CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), has announced the rosters of the four international teams competing in the 2009 World Junior A Challenge, November 1-8 at Credit Union Place in Summerside, P.E.I.

Teams from Germany, Russia, Sweden and the United States will join Canada West and Canada East at the six-team tournament. Canada West, Russia and Sweden will play in Pool A, while Canada East, Belarus and the United States will comprise Pool B.

The Two teams, Belarus and Russia, have submitted long lists. Both rosters will be finalized before the tournament’s opening games on Sunday.

The international rosters include:

Five (5) players who took part in the 2008 World Junior A Challenge

Belarus (3) – Brykun, Drozd, Susla
Russia (1) – Zotov
United States (1) – Gerths

Five (5) players drafted in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft (team, round, overall)

Sweden (1) – Almquist (DET, 7, 210)

United States (4) – M. Bennett (MTL, 3, 79); Costello (OTT, 5, 146); Jensen (DET, 5, 150); Dowd (LA, 7, 198)

Round-robin play at the 2009 World Junior A Challenge will run until Tuesday, November 3, with both semifinals taking place on Friday, November 6. The gold medal game, which will be shown nationally on TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, is set for Sunday, November 8 (check your local listings). All preliminary round games, quarter-finals, semifinals and the bronze medal game can be seen live via webcast through FASTHockey at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com.