FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Truro, N.S. (September 5, 2019) – A pair of Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) clubs, the Valley Wildcats and the Pictou County Weeks Crushers, will face Canada’s National Women’s Team in Liverpool, N.S. next week. Hockey Canada is hosting its annual Fall Festival from September 9th to 14th at the Queens Place Emera Centre. The event is a training camp aimed at helping develop and evaluate the nation’s top female players. The list of 47 players invited to attend was announced on August 27th.
“The Wildcats are very excited to play against the Nations Women’s team on September 12th, says Valley General Manager and Head Coach Brandon Benedict. “We see this as a great opportunity on and off the ice for our organization and the MHL. We want to support the National team with their evaluation process and their lead up to the Women’s World Hockey Championships in Halifax and Truro in 2020.”
The following night, on September 13th, the Crushers will hit the ice in Liverpool. General Manager Chad McDavid says, “The Pictou County Weeks Crushers organization is very excited to be a part of Hockey Canada’s Fall Festival. This is a great opportunity for our league and its players to compete against some of the best athletes in women’s hockey.”
Hockey Canada says this camp is a critical component of selecting the team that will go for gold on home ice at the 2020 IIHF Women’s World Championship next spring in Halifax and Truro, N.S.
MHL fans will also see a familiar face behind the bench for Team Canada as Troy Ryan is an Associate Coach. A native of Spryfield, Ryan was the first coach in Crushers’ history. He spent five years with the organization, winning Coach of the Year twice and leading the team to the 2008 Fred Page Cup championship on home ice. Ryan also spent three seasons with the Campbellton Tigers, where he won Coach of the Year for a third time in 2015-16.
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Media Contact:
James Faulkner
Director of Communications
Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL)
jfaulkner@themhl.ca