IceDogs Awarded 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge Game

The Niagara IceDogs announced today that the Ontario Hockey League has awarded them the right to be the Eastern Conference host site for the 2008 ADT Canada Russia challenge series. The game will take place at the Gatorade Garden City complex in St Catharines on Monday, November 24th and will be broadcasted nationally on Rogers Sportsnet.


Ticket pricing for the event will be $30 for premiums, $25 for ends and $20 for standing. All IceDogs season ticket holders will have first right of refusal on their seats for the game with any additional tickets opened up to the general public via a lottery system. Further details regarding ticket availability and lottery procedures to follow in September.

"We believe that this game is going to be another great event for the hockey fans of the Niagara Region" said IceDogs owner Bill Burke. "Being awarded this opportunity is a testament to our fans and the tremendous support we have received since arriving in St. Catharines. The history of Canada/Russia hockey goes back to the infamous Summit Series of 1972 and we are very proud and excited with the opportunity to provide our fans with such an incredible event."

"On behalf of the Canadian Hockey League, I'd like to thank our partners at ADT for their support of this event," said CHL President David Branch. "The Canadian Hockey League is very excited to host this series and without corporate support it wouldn't be possible. The participating CHL players recognize that the ADT Canada/Russia Challenge is the final step in the evaluation process for our National Junior Team and will be anxious for the opportunity to compete for a spot on the roster as Canada targets its fifth consecutive gold medal this winter in Ottawa ."

"The ADT Canada/Russia Challenge has become a highlight on the CHL schedule and we are very proud to be associated with it. These two nations have such a storied hockey history that fans from across the country tune in expecting to see a hard fought series. We expect nothing short of world class hockey this November that hockey fans from across the country won't want to miss," said Joe O'Connell, ADT Regional Vice-President - Canada.

In existence since 2003, the challenge consists of six exhibition games in which a team of Russian Junior all-stars will compete against CHL all-stars representing each of the three regional leagues. All-star squads from the OHL, Western Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will each play and host two games against the Russians, with the OHL splitting their host sites between an Eastern and Western Conference team.

Despite pulling off wins in both games last season, the OHL all-stars faced a strong test against a much improved Russian team which finished with a 2-3-0-1 record overall. The first game was especially difficult as the Russian team walked out to 2-0 and 3-2 leads before the OHL squad battled back for a come-from-behind 5-3 victory. Game 2 in Ontario turned out to be an equally difficult match as team OHL held on to a one-goal lead through most of the game before picking up an insurance marker late in the third to put the game out of reach.

The OHL player representatives will be chosen in late October with all non-overage, Canadian-born players eligible to compete. Hockey Canada will play a role in the selection process and will evaluate players throughout the series in preparation of the final selection process for the 2009 World Junior championships. Last season, the IceDogs were represented at this event by Luca Caputi, Stefan Legein, Alex Pietrangelo, and Matt Corrente.