University of North Dakota women's hockey associate head coach Peter Elander was selected to participate as a special panelist during the first World Hockey Summit, starting next Monday in Toronto.

From August 23-26, hockey leaders comprised of the National Hockey League, International Ice Hockey Federation, National Hockey League Players Association, USA Hockey, Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League will gather to together with the common theme of "Global Teamwork Promoting the Growth of the Game."

The World Hockey Summit will focus primarily on player development and growth of the game, addressing both the opportunities and the most pressing issues in the hockey world today in topic sessions.

"It is great to be invited and be one of the panelists there," Elander said. "It is going to be a great week for hockey with all the different subjects going to be brought up, especially with women's hockey and what happened after the Vancouver and how to close the gap."

This is the first time the major organizations in the hockey world will hold a summit meeting, this on the heels of the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

"I am just so proud to be invited there especially because I am going to work with UND hockey now and the NCAA is the main provider of super players on the women's side," Elander said.

Key themes for the event include:

• An evaluation of the 2010 Olympic hockey tournaments in Vancouver, Canada
• Player safety and skill development initiatives
• Challenges facing grassroots, youth and junior programs around the world
• The future of the Global Hockey Agenda - International Competition, Interaction and Cooperation
• Women's international hockey - Closing the gap with North America
• International transfers and player movement

Hayley Wickenheiser, a member of the Hockey Canada national team, will be a keynote speaker. Elander will be on a panel with Mel Davidson of Hockey Canada, Mark Johnson of USA Hockey, Arto Sieppi, the director of Finland female hockey.

"This is the first time that women's hockey is up there on the agenda with the IIHF, the NHL and all the hockey world," Elander said, "So it is going to be a big chance for women's hockey to get things done."

Elander was selected as a special panelist by the Summit steering committee comprised of National Hockey League deputy commissioner Bill Daly, Hockey Canada president/CEO Bob Nicholson, USA Hockey executive director Dave Ogrean, International Ice Hockey Federation general secretary Horst Lichtner, Canadian Hockey League commissioner Dave Branch, among others.

For more on the information on World Hockey Summit can be found via their website.