Winnipeg – Hockey Manitoba is pleased to announce that Canad Inns will be the official sponsor of Hockey Manitoba’s 2009 Program of Excellence.

The Program of Excellence (POE) is Hockey Manitoba’s most instrumental tool in the development of elite athletes and identifies a process through which potential candidates for regional and national teams participating in international competitions can be selected. The Hockey Manitoba POE bears a wealth of prestige and tradition which has seen the likes of Jonathan Toews, Jordan Tootoo, Nigel Dawes, Cam Barker, Dustin Boyd, Jennifer Botterill, Sami Jo Small and many other athletes graduate to the professional and national team ranks. The program is run every year, with regional camps, spring tournaments and summer camps used to evaluate players across the province for selection to the following championships:

• U-16 Male Team Manitoba Western Canada Branch Championships
• U-17 Male Team West World Under-17 Hockey Challenge
• U-18 Female Team Manitoba National Women’s U-18 Championships

Brian Franklin, President of Hockey Manitoba expressed his enthusiasm regarding the new sponsorship agreement with Canad Inns. Brian exclaimed, “Hockey Manitoba is excited to welcome Canad Inns as our 2009 Program of Excellence sponsor. Their organization is very well respected in Manitoba and they have certainly been supportive to community based programs over the years. We look forward to building on what has been a successful and positive relationship to date.”

Lorne Perrin, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Canad Inns remarked, “Canad Inns has an ongoing commitment to community based programs and we are pleased to sponsor Hockey Manitoba’s Program of Excellence. Hockey is an integral part of every community in Manitoba and plays a significant role for many families each winter. We look forward to working with Hockey Manitoba and providing all of our customers with the highest standards of service.”

Canad Inns is also currently Hockey Manitoba’s host hotel for meetings and special events. Please visit their website at www.canadinns.com for information about their services. For more information about Hockey Manitoba’s Program of Excellence please visit our website at www.hockeymanitoba.mb.ca

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