By Adam Dunfee /
All of Canada’s hockey teams will go into battle at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver in new duds.
Hockey Canada unveiled its highly anticipated new uniforms at a news conference earlier this month at the UBC Thunderbird Arena, where men’s, women’s and sledge hockey will be played during the 2010 Games.
Sportswear maker Nike designed the jersey with the help of Musqueam artist, Debra Sparrow.
The jersey features a large, red maple leaf crest with several designs contained inside of it.
In the centre of the crest, there is another maple leaf with smaller leaves inside representing how many gold medals the Canadian men’s, women’s and sledge hockey teams have won. Other designs within the crest include skating hockey players and moose. First Nations culture has also been incorporated into the design with a thunderbird and eagle also enclosed within the crest.
“These jerseys bear a uniquely exciting Canadian look in keeping with the distinctly Canadian character. The appearance of these jerseys will ignite our nation’s pride each time some of Canada’s most recognizable athletes take to the ice to represent their country and the Canadian Olympic team,” Canadian Olympic Committee president Michael Chambers told HockeyCanada.ca.
Like previous Canadian hockey jerseys, there will be a red version and a white version.
The jerseys are now available in over 2,000 stores across Canada at the suggested retail price of $135.
UNDER-18 WOMEN SET TO DO BATTLE
The National Women’s Under-18 Championship is returning to the West Coast.
This year’s tournament will run November 4 to 8 in Surrey, B.C.
In the tournament’s eight-year history, all the winners have come from Ontario.
Meanwhile, Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team will host a three-game series against the United States’ Women’s Under-18 Select Team in Calgary at the end of August.
MALE U-18 TEAM WINS GOLD
Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team made it back-to-back titles after blowing out Russia 9-2 in the final of the 2009 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament.
Brandon Gormley, Jeffrey Skinner and Tyler Seguin each scored two goals for Canada in the final.
Canada went 3-0 in the tournament scoring 18 goals while surrendering only five.
The tournament, which was formally called the Junior World Cup, has been dominated by Canada of late as they’ve won five of the last six.
WORLD JUNIOR HOPEFULS ATTEND CAMP
When the World Junior Championships open up in Saskatchewan this winter, Team Canada will be looking for its sixth straight gold medal.
Those players hoping to play for that sixth gold were in Saskatoon in August for a development camp.
Players at the camp included last year’s WJC hero Jordan Eberle who scored with five seconds left to tie Canada’s semi-final match with Russia at five, and Matt Duchene, who was drafted third overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2009 NHL Draft.
The camp featured two intersquad games with the Red and White teams each winning one.
Canada opens the tournament Boxing Day against Latvia in Saskatoon.
SLEDGE TEAM HOLDS SELECTION CAMP
It may only be August but competition for the 2010 Paralympic Games is already heating up.
Hockey Canada held its selection camp for Canada’s sledge hockey team in Milton, Ont., Aug. 20 to 23.
Of the 29 players invited to the camp, only 18 made it through to Canada’s National Sledge Team orientation camp in Calgary.
Sixteen of those 18 selected spent time with the National Sledge Team during the 2008/09 season.
The 18 players selected will participate in a number of international events, including the 2009 World Sledge Hockey Challenge, before the roster is trimmed down to 15 for the Paralympic Games. |