Forty-seven players to attend Canada's National Men's Team orientation camp

The roster includes 15 Olympic gold medallists from 2010 and 10 world champions.

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada, along with Canada’s National Men’s Team management group, has invited 47 players to attend a national team orientation camp from Aug. 25-28 in Calgary.

Canada’s National Men’s Team management group is comprised of executive director Steve Yzerman (Nepean, Ont./Tampa Bay, NHL), along with Doug Armstrong (Sarnia, Ont./St. Louis, NHL), Peter Chiarelli (Ottawa, Ont./ Boston, NHL), Ken Holland (Vernon, B.C./Detroit, NHL), Kevin Lowe (Lachute, Que./Edmonton, NHL), Bob Nicholson (Penticton, B.C./Hockey Canada) and Brad Pascall (Coquitlam, B.C./Hockey Canada).

Mike Babcock (Saskatoon, Sask./Detroit, NHL) will be the head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Team, with three associate coaches: Ken Hitchcock (Edmonton, Alta./St. Louis, NHL), Claude Julien (Orleans, Ont./Boston, NHL) and Lindy Ruff (Warburg, Alta./Dallas, NHL).

The orientation camp will offer the opportunity for management, the coaching staff and Hockey Canada to present the players with the team’s plans for Sochi, such as playing systems, international rules and regulations and logistics. Hockey Canada held similar camps prior to the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

“I would like to congratulate the players being invited today to our orientation camp,” said Yzerman. “This marks an important step for this program, as it is our only opportunity to be together as a group before Sochi.”

“On behalf of Hockey Canada, we thank the players and staff that will be part of the orientation camp in August,” said Pascall. “This camp is very important in our preparation for the upcoming season, as it allows the management group, coaching staff, support staff and players to share information and continue our planning and preparation for Sochi in February.”

The camp roster includes:

• five goaltenders, 17 defencemen and 25 forwards;
• 46 players with international experience, including 38 with international experience at the senior level (Olympic Winter Games, IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship);
• 15 players who won gold with Canada at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games;
• 18 players who played for Canada at the 2002, 2006 or 2010 Olympic Winter Games;
• 38 players who have played for Canada at an IIHF World Championship;
• 31 players who have played for Canada at an IIHF World Junior Championship;
• 17 players who have played for Canada at an IIHF World Under-18 Championship;
• four players who won the 2004 World Cup of Hockey with Canada;
• three of the eight Canadian players in the IIHF Triple Gold Club, having won Olympic gold, IIHF World Championship gold and a Stanley Cup:
• Patrice Bergeron, Eric Staal, Jonathan Toews;
• Mike Babcock is the only coach in the IIHF Triple Gold Club;
• one player (Corey Crawford) who has yet to represent Canada in international competition;
• eight players (Karl Alzner, Crawford, Travis Hamonic, Braden Holtby, Kris Letang, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Carey Price) who have yet to represent Canada internationally at the senior level.  

Collectively, the 47 players invited to orientation camp have:

• appeared in 1,295 games for Team Canada; 
• won 96 gold medals for Canada in international competition;
• appeared in 21,728 NHL regular season games, 2,369 NHL playoff games and 57 NHL All-Star Games;
• won 34 Stanley Cups.

Chicago leads all NHL teams with five players invited to camp, followed by Pittsburgh and San Jose with four:

• 5 – Chicago
• 4 – Pittsburgh, San Jose
• 3 – Boston, Los Angeles, Washington
• 2– Anaheim, Carolina, Edmonton, Montreal, N.Y. Islanders, N.Y. Rangers, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Vancouver
• 1 – Colorado, Nashville, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Toronto, Winnipeg

Camp averages:

• Average age (as of Aug. 26, 2013): 27 years, 6 months, 25 days
• Average height (as of Aug. 26, 2013): 6’1.5”
• Average weight (as of Aug. 26, 2013): 206 lbs

Details on Canada’s National Men’s Team orientation camp will be announced at a later date, including an event schedule and the media accreditation process.

In addition to the camp roster, Yzerman also announced Canada’s support staff that will work with the team at the orientation camp and will be nominated to the Canadian Olympic Team for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

For more information on Hockey Canada, its national teams, events and development programs, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca, or follow along through social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada and www.twitter.com/hockeycanada.