Canada unveil ice sledge hockey roster

Veteran Greg Westlake will help this new Canada Team to win its first world title since 2008 © • Getty Images

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“Getting down to 16 players was by no means an easy decision, which is a testament to the sledge hockey talent this country is producing.”

Canada announced the 16 players on Monday (19 November) who have been selected to play for their national ice sledge hockey team for the 2012-13 season.

The team was assembled by head coach Mike Mondin, assistant coach Curtis Hunt and Hockey Canada scouts at two training camps in September and October that were held in Barrie, Ontario and Trail, British Colombia, respectively.

The players selected will represent Canada at the World Sledge Hockey Challenge from 2-8 December in Calgary, Canada, the 2013 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey A Pool World Championships in April in Goyang City, Korea, as well as other international games and tournaments this winter.

“Getting down to 16 players was by no means an easy decision, which is a testament to the sledge hockey talent this country is producing,” Mondin told Hockey Canada.

“We feel we’ve assembled the best roster possible, and we’re excited to get to work on a new season.”

Fourteen of the players on the roster helped Canada win last year’s World Sledge Hockey Challenge and a bronze medal at the 2012 World Championships in Hamar, Norway.

Veterans Brad Bowden and Greg Westlake will anchor the squad, which is looking for its first world title since 2008.

Bowden, a former wheelchair basketball player, has been a member of the national team since 1999 and has competed in two Paralympic Winter Games.

Westlake has been a member of the national teams since he was 17, winning gold with the team at the 2008 World Championships and bronze at both the 2009 and 2012 World Championships.

Tyler McGregor, meanwhile, will be the one player making his national sledge team debut this season for Canada.

The complete roster includes: Benoit St-Amand; Steve Arsenault; Kieran Block; Billy Bridges; Brad Bowden; Adam Dixon; Corbin Watson; James Gemmell; Tyler McGregor; Graeme Murray; Derek Whitson; Marc Dorion; Anthony Gale; Dominic Larocque; Kevin Rempel and Greg Westlake.