ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – The top four women’s hockey teams in the world have arrived in Newfoundland and Labrador and will start competition at the 2010 4 Nations Cup tomorrow at the Mile One Centre in St. John’s and Clarenville Events Centre in Clarenville.

The 2010 4 Nations Cup starts Tuesday, November 9, with Canada taking on the United States at 7:30 p.m. NT at the Mile One Centre and Finland facing Sweden at 7 p.m. NT at the Clarenville Events Centre, and culminates with the bronze and gold medal games scheduled for 4 and 7:30 p.m., respectively, on Saturday, November 14 at the Mile One Centre. A championship ticket package featuring the bronze and gold medal games is available for just $29 (plus service fees).

Team Canada alumna and 2010 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Angela James will join Newfoundland and Labrador premier Danny Williams, Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson and Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador president Gerry Evans at the Canada-United States game for the first puck drop of the 2010 4 Nations Cup. The opening game is being broadcast free of charge via webcast at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com.

The 2010 4 Nations Cup is taking place in St. John’s and Clarenville to help Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador celebrate its 75th anniversary, and is generously supported by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.  The event brings together the top women’s hockey teams in the world – Canada, the United States, Finland and Sweden – for the first time since the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C.

In total, the six-day international tournament features 49 Olympians who competed in Vancouver: 13 on Team Canada, 13 on Team United States, 10 on Team Finland and 13 on Team Sweden. Canada’s 2010 Olympic gold medallists participating in the 2010 4 Nations Cup are Meghan Agosta, Gillan Apps, Tessa Bonhomme, Jayna Hefford, Haley Irwin, Rebecca Johnston, Meaghan Mikkelson, Caroline Ouellette, Kim St. Pierre, Cherie Piper, Marie-Philip Poulin, Shannon Szabados and Hayley Wickenheiser.

Wickenheiser (Shaunavon, Ont.) has been named captain of Canada’s National Women’s Team for the 2010 4 Nations Cup, while Bonhomme (Sudbury, Ont.), Hefford (Kingston, Ont.) and Ouellette (Montreal, Que.) will serve as alternate captains throughout the tournament.

Sarah Vaillancourt, also a gold medallist at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, is not participating in the 2010 4 Nations Cup due to injury.

“Hockey fans in Newfoundland and Labrador are in for a real treat at this year’s 4 Nations Cup,” said Kalli Quinn, director of female national teams for Hockey Canada. “The most talented female players in the world are here to compete in St. John’s and Clarenville, including experienced veterans who haven’t faced off against each other since Vancouver and rising young stars who could very well be heading to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.”
Single-game tickets for the 2010 4 Nations Cup range in price from $10 to $25, while packages for games at the Mile One Centre are available at prices ranging from $25 for two games on Friday, November 12 to $75 for all six games at the St. John’s arena. A two-game package is also available for the Clarenville Events Centre for $35. Ticket prices do not include service fees.

Several development activities for minor hockey players are taking place in conjunction with the 2010 4 Nations Cup, including an Esso Fun Day designed for girls who want to give hockey a try in a positive environment, to be held at the Mile One Centre in St. John’s on Thursday, November 11.

Hockey Canada and Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador are also hosting an Atlantic Bantam Female Skills Challenge at both the Mile One Centre and Twin Rinks in St. John’s on Thursday, November 11 and Friday, November 12. This event will feature seven of the top female Bantam-level players from each of the Atlantic Canadian branches, along with one coach from each of the four Atlantic provinces. They will participate in on- and off-ice skills testing, and a series of three-on-three games, during the two-day challenge.

Several young female hockey players will also have the chance to take part in unique opportunities before and during 2010 4 Nations Cup games, through Hockey Canada’s Experience a Dream program, the McDonald’s In The Line Up program and intermission mini-games.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: Both the Canada-Finland game on Friday, November 12 and the gold medal game on Saturday, November 13 will be broadcast on TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada. Check your local listings for 2010 4 Nations Cup broadcast times in your area.

The other six games will be available via webcast at hockeycanada.fasthockey.com on a pay-per-view basis for $7 per game, except for Canada’s opening game against the United States at 7:30 p.m. NT on Tuesday, November 9, which is being offered free of charge.

MEDIA INFORMATION: Francis Dupont, Hockey Canada’s manager of media relations and communications, and Kristen Lipscombe, Hockey Canada’s coordinator of communications, will be on site in St. John’s and Clarenville. Please contact Francis at 587-999-5681 or [email protected], and Kristen at 403-826-4819 or [email protected], for interview requests leading up to and during the 2010 4 Nations Cup.