Hockey all-star game to raise money for Team Canada’s trip to Winter Universiade in Trentino, Italy

(FREDERICTON, N.B.) – Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the return of the AUS men's hockey all-star game.

Returning for the first time since 1999, this year's event will be held Friday, Nov. 8 at the new Grant-Harvey Centre in Fredericton, N.B. on the St. Thomas Tommies' home ice, with the puck set to drop at 7 p.m. All proceeds from the game will help fund Canada's men's hockey team's trip to Trentino, Italy for the 2013 FISU Winter Universiade, December 11-21.

The 22-man team representing Canada in Trentino will be comprised entirely of players from the eight-team AUS conference, with each school sending a minimum of one and a maximum of four players.

The all-star showcase will also serve as the final identification game before Team Canada is officially selected. The players for this all-star game will be selected by the Team Canada coaching staff comprised of head coach Gardiner MacDougall (head coach, UNB) and assistants Forbes MacPherson (head coach, UPEI) and Brad Peddle (head coach, StFX), who will be accompanied in Italy by equipment manager Serge LeBlanc (Moncton) and trainer Joe Glenn (UNB).

"We are excited to revive the AUS all-star game," said MacDougall. "It will be a great opportunity for our coaching staff to make our final selections for Team Canada,"

MacDougall has coached the Varsity Reds to four CIS championship wins – all in the last seven years – and also served as an assistant coach when Team Canada brought home Universiade gold in 2007. 

Players selected for Trentino will be informed the morning of Saturday, Nov. 10. Those chosen will remain in Fredericton for a Team Canada orientation camp which will take place Saturday through Monday, Nov. 12. The team will practice together on the Grant Harvey Centre's Olympic-sized rink.

The Winter Universiade takes place every two years and Canada is represented in men's hockey by each of the three CIS conferences on a rotation basis. Since the rotation system was implemented prior to the 1997 Games, AUS all-stars have represented the country on two occasions, bringing home silver in 2001 (Zakopane, Poland) and claiming gold in 2007 (Turin, Italy).

Since the inaugural Universiade tournament in 1960, Canada has also claimed gold in 1981 (University of Alberta Golden Bears) and 1991 (senior national team).

Head coach MacDougall, together with his coaching staff and the AUS, encourages the hockey community to come out to the all-star hockey game and show support for Team Canada 2013 as they go for gold again once again this year in Trentino.