CIS stars, Canada’s National Junior Team hopefuls to meet in two-game series

Hockey Canada and Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced Wednesday a two-game exhibition series that will see a selection of CIS all-stars face off against Canada’s National Junior Team prospects as they prepare for the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship in Finland from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.

The games will be played at the MasterCard Centre in Toronto on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET and Sunday, Dec. 13 at noon ET.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Hockey Canada for what should be two very entertaining hockey games, and the first step in an expanded partnership between our organizations,” said Graham Brown, chief executive officer of CIS. “We all know how excited Canadians get every December about Canada's National Junior Team. These games will provide great exposure for CIS men’s hockey, and I know our players and coaches are looking forward this opportunity to shine on a national stage.”

“It is important for us to make the most of our opportunity to assess the players during December’s selection camp,” said Scott Salmond, vice-president of hockey operations and national teams for Hockey Canada. “These two games on international ice provide us with additional insights we simply wouldn’t get from intrasquad play, as we look to build the strongest team possible to represent Canada in Finland.”

The 23-player CIS roster, comprised of 11 standouts from the OUA conference as well as six apiece from the AUS and Canada West, will be announced on Nov. 30. The coaching staff, including representation from all three CIS leagues, will also be unveiled by the end of the month.

For its part, Hockey Canada will announce the roster of players invited to Canada’s National Junior Team selection camp on Dec. 1. The camp will take place at the MasterCard Centre from Dec. 10-13 and the final roster will be announced on Dec. 20, following pre-competition games in Finland against Belarus and the Czech Republic.

“I want to thank both Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League for the dialogue with CIS over the past few years,” said Kevin Dickie, chair of the CIS men’s hockey technical committee and member of the CIS Board of Directors. “Having coached the World Juniors team, I know how critical these game‎s are in their preparation and selection process. From our end, it’s an opportunity to showcase the outstanding caliber of CIS men’s hockey, which is as good as it gets in our country.”

Canada's National Junior Team has faced CIS competition on a regular basis in recent years in its preparation for the IIHF World Junior Championship, with most of those contests coming against a single university team or a selection from two or three programs. Last December, the Hockey Canada hopefuls swept a two-game set versus the Toronto Selects from Ryerson, York and U of T.

About Hockey Canada

Hockey Canada is the governing body for hockey in Canada and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), with a membership through its 13 provincial branch associations of over 700,000 players, coaches and officials. Hockey Canada is a not-for-profit organization that creates leading-edge hockey development programs for its members to deliver in communities across Canada; provides consistent rules and regulations and various other membership services from coast to coast to coast; manages numerous regional, national, and international hockey championships and events; and leads the operation of all teams that represent Canada in international ice hockey competition. Hockey Canada’s mission is to “lead, develop and promote positive hockey experiences.” For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook and Twitter.

About Canadian Interuniversity Sport

Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada. Every year, over 11,500 student-athletes and 700 coaches from 56 universities and four regional associations vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. CIS also provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships. For further information, visit www.cis-sic.ca or follow us on:

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