U18 COACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF NAMED

CALGARY, AB —Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League announced on Wednesday the coaching staff and support staff that will lead Canada’s Under 18 team at the 2005 IIHF World Under 18 Hockey Championship in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, April 14-24, 2005.

Shawn Camp, who just completed his first season as Head Coach of the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League, has been named Head Coach of Team Canada. Camp was an Assistant Coach for Canada’s 2004 Under 18 summer team that won a gold medal at the U18 Junior World Cup in Czech Republic in August. Prior to joining the Sting, he was Head Coach of the Guelph Storm (OHL), and won the OHL Championship and a berth into the Memorial Cup in 2003-04. Camp served as Guelph’s Assistant Coach from 2000-2003 and was the Head Coach of the Hawksbury Hawks (Junior A) from 1998-2000, leading them to the 1999 Canadian Junior A Championship. He was an Assistant Coach in Hull (QMJHL) from 1996-1998, and helped led the Hull Olympiques to a Quebec League Championship and a Memorial Cup title in 1997.

Canada’s Assistant Coaches for the U18 World Championship will be Christian LaRue and Curtis Hunt.

All of Canada’s U18 games will be broadcast LIVE on TSN/RDS, the official broadcaster of Hockey Canada, beginning with Canada’s first game on April 14th versus Germany.

LaRue was an Assistant Coach for Canada’s U18 summer team in 2000, winning gold. He spent five seasons with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL (1999-2005), of which he was Head Coach for 2 ? seasons, and an Assistant Coach during the other time in Moncton. LaRue was head coach for both Chicoutimi and Drummondville from 1997-1999.

Hunt just completed his first season as Head Coach of the WHL’s Regina Pats. In 2003-2004, he led Moose Jaw to their first-ever 40-plus-win season and East Division title and was named the runner-up to Kevin Constantine for the WHL Coach of the Year Award.

Hunt played in 183 WHL regular season games with the Prince Albert Raiders from 1984 – 1987, winning the Memorial Cup in his rookie season. After his WHL playing career he played nine seasons in the IHL & AHL, playing in 527 regular season games and 50 games during the playoffs. Hunt began his coaching career in 1996-97 with the Grand-Rapids Griffins of the IHL as an Assistant Coach.

Blair Mackasey, Hockey Canada’s Head Scout, has been scouting Canadian players from coast to coast, and will work with the coaching staff in naming the players that will represent Canada at the World U18’s. Players named to Canada’s roster will be announced in the next 2-3 weeks.

Canada’s 2005 World Championship Under-18 Team will be comprised of players under 18 years old (born in 1987) whose teams are not playing in either the CHL, Junior A or collegiate playoffs.

Canada’s National Under-18 Program consists of two separate teams, assembled twice a year: the National Under-18 Summer Program (August) and the National Under-18 World Championship Team, which Camp will coach this April. The 2005 IIHF U18 World Championship marks the fourth time that Canada has participated at this World Championship event, winning gold in 2003 and finishing 4th place last year.

Hockey Canada and the CHL also announced the support staff for Canada’s U18 World Championship team, as follows:

Head Scout Blair Mackasey Hockey Canada

Team Manager Ron Pyette Hockey Canada

Video Coordinator Dave Hunchak Swift Current Broncos – WHL

Sport Psychologist Wayne Halliwell Hockey Canada

Team Doctor Dr. Michael Nicholls Regina Pats – WHL

Therapist Kevin Wagner Hockey Canada

Equipment Manager Darcy Bishop Spokane Chiefs – WHL

Communications Peter Hanlon Calgary Flames – NHL

Education Consultant Bill Seymour Saskatoon Blades – WHL

For more information on Canada’s Under 18 team, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca, or visit www.chl.ca for information on the Canadian Hockey League.