PENTICTON, B.C. – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), announced on Thursday the game schedule for the 2010 World Junior A Challenge, set for November 8-14 at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton.

Making its debut at the 2010 World Junior A Challenge will be Switzerland, which will play in Group B with two-time gold medalist Canada West and Russia. The United States, the 20 gold medalists, will play in Group A with Canada East and Sweden.

Canada West will be the first Canadian team to see action, taking on Switzerland on Monday, November 8, while Canada East will make its 2010 debut on Tuesday, November 9 when it faces Sweden.

“With the addition of Switzerland and the possibility of seeing some of the same players who helped the Swiss reach the semifinals at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship, this year’s tournament is shaping up to be the best in the tournament’s five-year history,” says Andrew Jakubeit, chair of the host committee. “The event is still five months away, but the excitement is already being felt in Penticton.”

Two tickets packages are being offered immediately.

The BCHL Fan Pack is available to BCHL season ticket holders for $99 and includes reserved seating for all 13 tournament games, a free tournament program, a specialized BCHL Fan Pack pass and the opportunity to win autographed BCHL player jerseys and the ultimate WJAC fan experience, which includes a second event package, VIP access at the 2010 World Junior A Challenge and an autographed Canada West jersey.

A second ticket package, available to the general public, costs $119 and includes reserved seating for all 13 tournament games, a free tournament program and a specialized WJAC pass.

Ticket packages can be purchased by phone at 1-877-763-2849, online at www.valleyfirsttix.com or in person at the South Okanagan Events Centre box office or Wine Country Visitor’s Centre.

Single-game tickets will not go on sale until later this year.

The host committee in Penticton would also like to recognize some of the local partners who have already showed their great support of the 2010 World Junior A Challenge.  

The Penticton Lakeside Resort, Convention Centre & Casino will serve as the host hotel for the event, will be the headquarters of the 2010 World Junior A Challenge and will be dressed up in Hockey Canada colours as it welcomes the hockey world to Penticton. The host committee would also like to recognize partner hotels Days Inn, Ramada Inn & Suites, Sandman Inn and Best Western Inn, who will each be hosting one of the visiting teams this fall.

Since the first World Junior A Challenge in 2006 in Yorkton, Sask., more than 65 NHL draft picks have played in the tournament, including eight first-round selections (Kyle Turris, Nikita Filatov, Dmitri Kulikov, Joe Colborne, Riley Nash, John Moore, Brendan Smith and Dylan Olsen), and more alumni will be drafted at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft later this month.