GRAND FORKS, N.D.--Hockey Canada announced today that University of North Dakota forward Jonathan Toews has been invited to the team's pre-competition camp in Finland to assist with Canada's preparations prior to the start of the World Championship.
The 2007 IIHF World Hockey Championship will run from April 27-May 13, 2007 in Moscow, Russia.
Toews was one of seven players named by Team Canada General Manager Steve Yzerman who will be joining the team in Finland from April 23-26 for its pre-competition camp and preparations. These players will assist Team Canada with its preparations, including an exhibition game against Finland on April 24th, prior to naming additional NHL players that get eliminated from the NHL playoffs this week.
In each of the past two years Toews has won a gold medal with Canada at the IIHF Under-20 World Junior Championship. The Winnipeg, Man., native recently completed his sophomore season at UND and helped lead the Fighting Sioux to their third consecutive NCAA Frozen Four appearance.
Toews scored 18 goals and 28 assists for 46 points in 33 games for UND this season and was named a first team All-American by the American Hockey Coaches Association. In 76 career games at UND Toews has 40 goals and 45 assists for 85 points.
Canada's official roster for the 2007 IIHF World Hockey Championship includes former Sioux defenseman Mike Commodore, who played three seasons at UND from 1997-98 to 1999-00 and now plays for the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes.
To other former Sioux standouts, forward Jason Blake of the New York Islanders and defenseman Matt Greene of the Edmonton Oilers, were selected earlier this month to play for the United States at the World Championship. Each played three seasons at UND, Blake from 1996-99 and Greene from 2002-05.
###