Sledge hockey roster announced
Team Canada looks for back-to-back Paralympic gold.
Last Updated: Monday, January 4, 2010 | 7:58 PM ET
Dan Robson CBC Sports
Canada's Raymond Grassi, left, and Todd Nicholson, right, celebrate after winning the gold medal at the 2006 Winter Paralympic games in Turin. (Alberto Ramella/Canadian Press)Four years ago, Canada's sledge hockey team returned from Turin with its first Paralympic gold medal.
Today, Hockey Canada announced the squad that will defend that title in Vancouver.
And the 15-player team, announced at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, looks very much as it did in 2006.
Thirteen members of the previous gold-medal winning team are returning, including team captain Jean Labonté from Hull, Quebec.
"We believe we have the 15 men who will battle hard for gold in Vancouver," said head coach Jeff Snyder. "We held a number of events and camps in 2009-10 with a deep pool of players and we're excited today to have our team for the Paralympic Winter Games."
The national team won silver at the 2009 World Sledge Hockey Challenge in Charlottetown, P.E.I., in November.
The team trains together in Saskatoon, and has practised together daily since Jan. 1.
Canada will open the Paralympic Winter Games on March 13 against Italy.
Canada is matched against Sweden and Norway in its other preliminary games.
In 2006, Canada lost 4-1 to Norway during round robin play.
But Canada avenged the loss with a decisive 3-0 victory over the Norwegians in the gold medal game.
