SPEAKERS INCLUDE PAT QUINN, JACQUES MARTIN, ANDY MURRAY, TOM RENNEY, GARY GREEN AND KEN HITCHCOCK

CALGARY, AB – Hockey Canada, in cooperation with the Calgary Flames, the Western Centre of Excellence and Hockey Alberta, announced details for the 2004 International Coaches Conference in Calgary, AB from July 1 to July 4, 2004, including a list of confirmed speakers which features Canada’s World Cup of Hockey coaching staff and other international coaching experts.

The conference, scheduled for July 1-4, 2004 at the Westin Hotel in the heart of downtown Calgary, is an event that hockey coaches from all over the world can attend. Coaches from all levels and age groups are encouraged to register and share modern training and instructional techniques through presentations featuring some of the brightest hockey minds in the world. The Canadian Hockey League (CHL), recognizing a development opportunity presented by this Conference, has also committed the participation of at least one coach from each of its 56 franchises.

For the first time in the fifteen year history of the International Coaches Conference, Hockey Canada will be delivering two parallel programs with the addition of the Youth Hockey Stream which will be a Minor Hockey specific, lower cost alternative for volunteer minor hockey coaches.

The cost for attending the full four-day conference is $400. Minor hockey coaches can attend a specialized version of this conference, running for a day and half from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening – for $150.

To register for the 2004 International Coaches Conference, call the Western Centre of Excellence (WCOE) at 1-403-777-3601 or visit Hockey Canada’s International Coaches Conference website at www.hockeycanada.ca/e/events/icc/index.html . Registration is limited, so coaches that are interested are urged to sign up soon.

This is the 9th bi-annual Coaching Conference that Hockey Canada has hosted and the first in Alberta in 10 years. The 2004 Conference is organized by Hockey Canada and its Western Centre of Excellence, a hockey development office based in Calgary that operates minor hockey programming throughout Alberta in cooperation with the Calgary Flames, Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada.

Confirmed speakers to date at the 2004 Hockey Canada International Coaches Conference July 1-4, 2004 include:

· John Furlong (CEO, Vancouver 2010)

· Pat Quinn (Head Coach, Toronto Maple Leafs/ Head Coach, 2002 Men’s Olympic Team, Canada’s 2004 World Cup of Hockey Team)

· Ken Hitchcock (Head Coach, Philadelphia Flyers/ Associate Coach, 2002 Men’s Olympic Team, Canada’s 2004 World Cup of Hockey Team)

· Jacques Martin (Head Coach, Ottawa Senators/ Associate Coach, 2002 Men’s Olympic Team, Canada’s 2004 World Cup of Hockey Team)

· Wayne Fleming (Associate coach, Philadelphia Flyers/ Associate Coach, 2002 Men’s Olympic Team, Canada’s 2004 World Cup of Hockey Team)

· Tom Renney (Head Coach/ Vice-president, Player Personnel, New York Rangers)

· Gary Green (Head Coach, Canada’s National Men’s Team at the 2004 Spengler and Swiss Cups/ TSN Hockey Analyst)

· Andy Murray (Head Coach, Los Angeles Kings/ Head Coach 2003 Men’s World Championship)

· Mike Johnston (Assistant Coach, Vancouver Canucks)

· Rob Cookson (Assistant Coach, Calgary Flames)

· Erkka Westerlund (Assistant Coach, Finland’s Men’s National Team/ Head Coach, Finland’s 2003 National Junior Team)

· Dr. Steve Norris (Physiologist, National Sport Centre/ Canada’s National Women’s Hockey Team)

Presentations at the International Coaches Conference will include:

· Developing successful Specialty Teams

· Offensive Attacks – Generating More Scoring

· Motivating your players to be the best

· Athlete Development – Doing what is best for the athlete

· Game Day Preparation

For more information on Hockey Canada and the 2004 International Coaches Conference, visit the official Hockey Canada website at www.hockeycanada.ca or call 403-777-3601.

For more information:

Andre Brin

Manager, Media Relations

403-777-3609

abrin@hockeycanada.ca