FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2000

VANCOUVER GRIFFINS BEGIN THEIR HISTORIC FIRST ROOKIE CAMP

Vancouver - Today the Vancouver Griffins of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) begin evaluating more than 80 of BC's top female hockey players at their first ever rookie tryout camp taking place at the 8-Rinks ice sports centre in Burnaby. Among the athletes vying for a spot at the Griffins' training camp in August are Hongmei Lui, Captain of China's national team, Maren Valenti, a veteran of Germany's national team, and Julia Berg of the Norwegian national team. BC native Delaney Collins, along with NWHL stars and Canadian National team members Vicky Sunohara, Jayna Hefford, Lori Dupuis, and Nancy Drolet, will participate as guests in the events over the weekend.

The evaluations will include conditioning sessions with Peter Twist, the Vancouver Canucks' conditioning coach on Friday evening, scrimmages on Saturday, and a showcase game on Sunday afternoon. All on-ice activities are free and open to the public. The Griffins will donate memorabilia from the event to the BC Sports Hall of Fame.

"We have an excellent group of athletes participating at camp, and we expect to have a very competitive team this year," said Philip DeGrandpre, the Griffins' President and General Manager. " We are very excited to be providing a place for BC's top female hockey players to continue to develop their game right here in BC," he continued.

More than 3,800 women in BC/Yukon are registered members of the Canadian Hockey Association (CHA), giving the province the second highest participation rate in Canada. According to CHA statistics, participation in women's hockey has grown by more than 400% in the last ten years, making it among the fastest growing sports in North America.

Established in January of this year, the Vancouver Griffins are the newest franchise in the 10-team semi-professional NWHL, the world's premier women's hockey league. The Griffins have applied for membership in the BC Amateur Hockey Association (BCAHA) and for affiliate membership in the South Coast Female Amateur Hockey League.

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