Forwards announced for the Tim Hortons Team Canada men’s hockey all-star game

(FREDERICTON, N.B.) – The Team Canada coaching staff is pleased to announce the student-athletes selected as forwards for the Tim Hortons Team Canada 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 all-star showcase will also serve as the final identification game before Team Canada is officially selected.    Following Friday's all-star game, the 22-man team selected to represent Canada in Trentino will stay in Fredericton for an 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 players for this all-star game were 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).

Forwards:
Jason Bast, StFX (4^th year – Regina, Sask.)
Lucas Bloodoff, Saint Mary's (4^th year – Castlegar, B.C.)
Cam Braes, UNB (2^nd year – Shawinigan Lake, B.C.)
x – Tyler Carroll, UNB (3^rd year – Strathroy, Ont.)
Mike Cazzola, Acadia (2^nd year – Guelph, Ont.)
Cam Critchlow, UNB (2^nd year – Summerside, P.E.I.)
Chris Culligan, UNB (5^th year – Howie Centre, N.S.)
Chris Desousa, UPEI (3^rd year – Mississauga, Ont.)
Eric Faille, Moncton (4^th year – Lachine, Que.)
Dana Fraser, UPEI (4^th year – Tatamagouche, N.S.)
Joe Gaynor, Acadia (4^th year – Goderich, Ont.)
Liam Heelis, Acadia (3^rd year – Georgetown, Ont.)
Ryan Hillier, Saint Mary's (4^th year – Halifax, N.S.)
Stephen Johnson, Saint Mary's (3^rd year – Guelph, Ont.)
Michael Kirkpatrick, StFX (3^rd year – North Sydney, N.S.)
Nick MacNeil, UNB (4^th year – Creignish, N.S.)
Jordan Mayer, UPEI (2^nd year – Kingston, Ont.)
Thomas Nesbitt, UNB (3^rd year – Ottawa, Ont.)
x – Alex Quesnel, Moncton (4^th year – Dorval, Que.)
Stephen Sanza, St. Thomas (3^rd year – London, Ont.)
Rob Slaney, StFX (4^th year – Portugal Cove, N.L.)
Cory Tanaka, Saint Mary's (5^th year – Stouffville, Ont.)
Brett Thompson, Acadia (2^nd year – Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.)
(Alternate) Matt Tipoff, Saint Mary's (3^rd year – Toronto, Ont.)
x – Pierre Vandall, Dalhousie (4^th year – Saint-Louis de France, Que.)

x – player selected but unable to play due to injury 

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).

Advanced tickets for Friday's all-star game are on sale at the Aitken University Centre box office, the J.B. O'Keefe Fitness Centre and MacTavish's Source For Sports, at a cost of $10 each. Season tickets are not valid for this game. 

The final selection of student-athletes who will form Team Canada's men's hockey team and compete in the World Universiade in Trentino this December will be announced Saturday, Nov. 9, following Friday night's all-star game.