NAGANO, Japan – Canada’s National Sledge Team has earned the silver medal at the 2011 Japan Para Ice Sledge Hockey Championship after a 1-0 loss to Norway in its final round robin game on Monday night at Big Hat Arena. Canada finished the tournament with a 2-1 record, including wins over the United States (2-1) and Japan (5-0).
The silver medal is the first in three appearances for Canada at the tournament – it won gold in 2008, when the tournament was held in Asahikawa, and in 2009 in Nagano.
On Monday, Canada got 15 saves from goaltender Benoit St-Amand (St-Hubert, Que.), but couldn’t avoid being shut out for the first time since October 31, 2009, a span of 20 games. The Canadians were outshot 16-13 by Norway.
Billy Bridges (Summerside, P.E.I.) finished as Canada’s top scorer in the tournament, with four goals and one assist, while Kevin Rempel (Dundas, Ont.) (one goal, one assist) and Marc Dorion (Bourget, Ont.) (two assists), were the only other Canadians to record more than one point.
Gold medal and bronze medal games were originally scheduled for the tournament, but Saturday and Sunday’s round robin games were pushed back one day following the 8.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan on Friday, and the decision was made to award the gold medal to the team with the best record following the round robin.
The 2010-11 season concludes for Canada’s National Sledge Team when London, Ont., hosts the 2011 World Sledge Hockey Challenge, April 18-23 at the Western Fair Sports Centre. Canada has won a pair of gold medals (2007, 2008) and one silver medal (2009) at the event, which will include the same four teams that competed in Nagano.
For 2011 World Sledge Hockey Challenge ticket information, CLICK HERE.
RETURN FLIGHT INFORMATION FOR NATIONAL SLEDGE TEAM MEMBERS FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 15
Flights are listed alphabetically by final destination and all flight
information is listed with local times.
Castlegar, B.C. 3:14 p.m.
(AC8250) Mike Mondin (head coach)
Edmonton, Alta. 3:55 p.m. (AC0240)
Steve Arsenault
Halifax, N.S. 9:55 p.m.
(AC0620) Ron Watkins (assistant coach)
Montreal, Que. 7:13 p.m.
(AC0832) Benoit St-Amand
Ottawa, Ont. 7:10 p.m.
(AC0462) Marc Dorion
Prince George, B.C. 3:30 p.m.
(AC8205) James Gemmell
Quebec City, Que. 8 p.m.
(AC8924) Dominic Larocque
Toronto, Ont. 4:10 p.m.
(AC0002) Brad Bowden, Billy Bridges, Jordan Cullum, Adam
Dixon, Anthony Gale, Graeme Murray, Kevin Rempel, Greg
Westlake
Vancouver, B.C. 11:55 a.m. (AC0004) Scott
Karrasch
Windsor, Ont. 7:17 p.m.
(AC7759) Corbin Watson, Derek Whitson
Follow Hockey Canada’s sledge hockey program online at www.HockeyCanada.ca, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HCSledge, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HC_sledge and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/HCsledge.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
André
Brin Francis Dupont
Director,
Communications Manager,
Media Relations
Hockey
Canada Hockey Canada
(403)
540-8444 (403) 777-4564
abrin@hockeycanada.ca
fdupont@hockeycanada.ca
Jason La
Rose Kristen Lipscombe
Coordinator, Content
Services Coordinator,
Communications
Hockey Canada
Hockey
Canada
(403)
777-4553 (403) 284-6427
jlarose@hockeycanada.ca
klipscombe@hockeycanada.ca
Keegan Goodrich
Coordinator, Media Relations
Hockey Canada
(403) 284-6484
kgoodrich@hockeycanada.ca
