Canadian sledge hockey roster trimmed to 19

Players to progress to national training camp before selection is made for the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships A-Pool from 24 April-2 May. 25 Nov 2014
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CAN vs NOR Canadian player Brad Bowden weaves by goalie to score on an open net

Brad Bowden has been invited to Canada’s national ice sledge hockey team training camp to select the 2014-15 team that will head to the World Championships in April 2015.

Ⓒ© Marcus Hartmann
By IPC

Hockey Canada announced Sunday (23 November) the 19 players invited to Canada’s national ice sledge hockey team training camp from 10-17 January at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.

The training camp will serve as the final step in the selection process for the 2014-15 season, which will see the reigning world champions look to defend their title at the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships A-Pool in Buffalo, USA.

The players were chosen at the conclusion of a selection camp that ran from 19-23 November in Toronto. National team hopefuls competed in three Red-White intrasquad games during camp.

The 17 players named to the final roster at the conclusion of the training camp will represent Canada at the 2015 World Sledge Hockey Challenge in early February, in a Canadian host city to be announced, and Buffalo 2015, scheduled for 24 April-2 May.

“Canada continues to produce world-class sledge hockey talent, which made the decision making this weekend that much tougher,” said Shawn Bullock, senior manager of hockey operations and national teams with Hockey Canada. “We’re extremely pleased with the performances we saw in camp, and we’re excited to move forward with these 19 players.”

Fifteen of the players invited to Canada’s national sledge team selection camp helped Canada win bronze at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games last March in Sochi, Russia, and 14 were part of the Canadian contingent that won gold at the 2013 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships A-Pool in Goyang, South Korea.

Returning players from Canada’s 2014 Paralympic roster include goaltenders Dominic Larocque and Corbin Watson, defencemen Steve Arsenault, Adam Dixon, James Gemmell, and Derek Whitson, as well as forwards Brad Bowden, Billy Bridges, Ben Delaney, Marc Dorion, Anthony Gale, Karl Ludwig, Tyler McGregor, Kevin Rempel and Greg Westlake.

Three players, Chris Cederstrand, Bryan Sholomicki and Kevin Sorley, have never played for Canada’s national team, and one, Kieran Block, has previous national team experience.

Buffalo 2015 will feature Paralympic champions the USA, silver medallists Russia and defending world champions Canada, Norway, Italy, Germany and Japan.