CALGARY, ALBERTA – Melody Davidson, Head Coach of Canada’s National Women’s Hockey team, announced a roster of 20 players that will represent Canada at the upcoming 2004 Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, NY/Burlington, VT, November 10-14, 2004.

Canada’s roster for the Four Nations Cup event is a development and evaluation roster. Over the next two seasons, Canada’s roster will change event to event as the coaching staff continues to evaluate players for the 2005 IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship and the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

This roster announcement for the Four Nations Cup follows the seven-day Team Canada Thanksgiving Festival in Kitchener, ON (October 4-10), and represents the first step in an ongoing evaluation process for Canada’s National Women’s Team leading to the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. Team Canada’s Head scout Wally Kozak and Canada’s National Women’s Team coaching staff (Head Coach Melody Davidson, assistant coaches Tim Bothwell and Margot Page) will evaluate and monitor players that attended the Thanksgiving Festival as well as Canadian women’s players from coast to coast in North America.

Canada’s roster for the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, NY/Burlington, VT includes nine 2002 Olympic gold medalists as well as fifteen players that have previously been a part of Canada’s National Under-22 Women’s Program. Three of Canada’s players (Meghan Agosta, Tessa Bonhomme, Katie Weatherston) will be making their international debuts with Canada’s National Women’s Team.

The 2004 Four Nations Cup marks Canada’s only international competition for the 2004-05 season, prior to the 2005 IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship in Linkoping, Sweden, from April 3-10, 2005. Team Canada’s players and staff will train in Montreal from November 6-9 prior to traveling to Lake Placid, NY for the start of the tournament on November 10.

The Four Nations Cup features National Women’s teams from Canada, Finland, Sweden and USA.

Since the Nations Cup (previously the Three Nations Cup, now the Four Nations Cup) started in 1996, Canada has won six of eight events (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002), and finished second twice to the US at the 1997 and 2003 tournaments.

“Our coaching and scouting staff was very pleased with the level of competition amongst our athletes at the Thanksgiving Festival in Kitchener,” said Head Coach Melody Davidson. “The U-22 and provincial U-18 programs continue to develop great young players and prepare them for our senior team and continue to push our veteran players. The Four Nations Cup will be a good indicator as to where we are in terms of our development plan for the 2005 World Championship and 2006 Winter Olympics.”

For more information on Canada’s National Women’s Program, please visit the official website at www.hockeycanada.ca

2004 Women’s Four Nation Cup Schedule (all times EST)

Wednesday, Nov.10 – 4:00pm Sweden vs. Canada (Lake Placid, NY)

7:30pm USA vs. Finland (Lake Placid, NY)

Thursday, Nov. 11 – 7:00pm USA vs. Canada (Burlington, VT – Gutterson Fieldhouse)

7:00pm Finland vs. Sweden (Lake Placid, NY)

Saturday, Nov. 13 – 1:00pm Canada vs. Finland (Lake Placid, NY)

4:00pm USA vs. Sweden (Lake Placid, NY)

Sunday, Nov.14 – 11:30am Bronze Medal Game (Lake Placid, NY)

2:30pm Gold Medal Game (Lake Placid, NY)

ROSTER