March 4 , 2004

CBC Sports acquires the rights to National Women's Hockey League

Championship 2004

CBC Sports Saturday

TO AIR the 2004 National Women's Hockey League Championship SATURDAY APRIL 10

TORONTO (Thursday March 4 th , 2004) – The National Women's Hockey League Easter Weekend tradition continues on Saturday, April 10, 2004 as CBC SPORTS brings hockey fans exclusive Canadian coverage of the 2004 NWHL Championship. Beginning at noon ET, members from Canada's 2002 Olympic and 2004 national women's teams compete for the NWHL National title at the Brampton Centre for Sports and Entertainment in Brampton, Ontario.

“CBC Sports is pleased to be able to broadcast this event and showcase some of Canada's top female players to viewers across Canada,” explains Nancy Lee, executive director of CBC Sports.

For the fifth consecutive year the NWHL, the elite in Canadian women's hockey action graces Canadian airwaves with exciting hockey competition. This year, with our broadcast partner CBC Sports, game coverage will be seen from coast-to-coast-to-coast as part of CBC Sports Saturday .

Also for the fifth year in a row the NWHL offers hockey's all-female broadcast team. CBC Sports Saturday's broadcast features host Terry Leibel, Play by Play with Lisa Bowes calling the play-by-play, and analysis from Kylie Richardson.

The following members of Canada's 2004 national women's hockey team and 2002 Olympic team are members of the NWHL:

•  Sami Jo Small, Geraldine Heaney, Becky Kellar, Gillian Ferrari and Cheryl Pounder (Toronto Aeros)

•  Jayna Hefford, Lori Dupuis and Vicky Sunohara (Brampton Thunder)

•  Cassie Campbell, Colleen Sostorics, Danielle Goyette, Dana Antal and Kelly Bechard, Hayley Wickenheiser (Calgary X-Treme)

•  Charline Labonte and Isabelle Chartrand (Montreal Axion)

The NWHL consists of 10 teams, (nine active)

Central Division:
The Toronto Aeros, Brampton Thunder, Durham Telus Lightning, Oakville Ice,

East Division:
Montreal Axion, Ottawa Raiders, Quebec Avalanche,

West Division:
Edmonton Chimos, Calgary X-Treme and the Vancouver Griffins.  

The Toronto Aeros have won the Championship three times, while the Calgary X-Treme the NWHL 2003 champions must win the Western Division to go to the Championship to defend their title.

* Schedule subject to change

For further information, contact:
Christian Hasse, publicist
CBC Sports
Toronto (416) 205-5632
OR
Michael A. Charbon
MAC Productions Inc.
Executive Producer
Broadcast Properties, NWHL
LIVE TV Producer
905.270.7616
mcharbon@sprynet.com
MACProductionsInc@NWHLHockey.com
www.NWHLHockey.com