Many WHL Alum Chasing Olympic Gold

28 WHL GRADUATES TO COMPETE FOR OLYMPIC HOCKEY GOLD
Calgary, AB -- The Western Hockey League is proud to announce that 28 WHL alumni will participate in the 2010 Winter Olympic hockey tournament in Vancouver, B.C., later this month.



12 countries will compete for an Olympic Gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics including Belarus, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.



Seven of the 12 competing entries have at least one WHL graduate on their roster. Canada and Slovakia each boast eight WHL graduates, the Czechs have four WHL alumni, and Switzerland and Germany each have three.



Here’s a look at the WHL graduates who will be competing for Gold at the 2010 Winter Olympic hockey tournament in Vancouver, B.C.:



CANADA

Name; Hometown – Club team (WHL team)

Ryan Getzlaf; Regina, SK – Anaheim Ducks (Calgary Hitmen)

Jarome Iginla; St. Albert, AB – Calgary Flames (Kamloops Blazers)

Duncan Keith; Penticton, B.C. – Chicago Blackhawks (Kelowna Rockets)

Patrick Marleau; Aneroid, SK – San Jose Sharks (Seattle Thunderbirds)

Brenden Morrow; Carlyle, SK – Dallas Stars (Portland Winterhawks)

Brent Seabrook; Tsawwassen, B.C. – Chicago Blackhawks (Lethbridge Hurricanes)

Shea Weber; Sicamous, B.C. – Nashville Predators (Kelowna Rockets)



CZECH REPUBLIC

Martin Erat; Trebic, CZE – Nashville Predators (Saskatoon Blades, Red Deer Rebels)

Tomas Fleischmann; Koprivnice, CZE – Washington Capitals (Moose Jaw Warriors)

Pavel Kubina; Celadna, CZE – Atlanta Thrashers (Moose Jaw Warriors)

Roman Polak; Ostrava, CZE – St. Louis Blues (Kootenay Ice)



GERMANY

Jason Holland; Morinville, AB – DEG Metro Stars Dusseldorf (Kamloops Blazers)

T.J. Mulock; Langley, B.C. – Eisbaren Berlin (Vancouver Giants, Regina Pats, Kamloops Blazers)

Chris Schmidt; Beaver Lodge, AB – Alder Mannheim (Seattle Thunderbirds)



LATVIA

Lauris Darzins; Riga, LAT – Dinamo Riga (Kelowna Rockets)



NORWAY

Ole-Kristian Tollefsen; Oslo, NOR – Philadelphia Flyers (Brandon Wheat Kings)



SLOVAKIA

Zdeno Chara; Trencin, SVK – Boston Bruins (Prince George Cougars)

Martin Cibak; Liptovsky Mikulas, SVK – Spartak Moscow (Medicine Hat Tigers)

Marcel Hossa; Ilava, SVK – Dinamo Riga (Portland Winterhawks)

Marian Hossa; Ilava, SVK – Chicago Blackhawks (Portland Winterhawks)

Tomas Kopecky; Ilava, SVK – Chicago Blackhawks (Lethbridge Hurricanes)

Andrej Meszaros; Povazska Bystrica, SVK – Tampa Bay Lightning (Vancouver Giants)

Rastislav Stana; Kosice, SVK – Severstal Cherepovets (Moose Jaw Warriors, Calgary Hitmen)

Richard Zednik; Banska Bystrica, SVK – Lokomotiv Jaroslavl (Portland Winterhawks)



SWITZERLAND

Hnat Domenichelli; Edmonton, AB – HC Lugano (Kamloops Blazers)

Luca Sbisa; Oberageri, SUI – Portland Winterhawks*, Lethbridge Hurricanes

Roman Wick, Zuzwil, SUI – Kloten Flyers (Red Deer Rebels, Lethbridge Hurricanes)