August 30, 2006
NR114

THREE-TIME OLYMPIAN AND NATIONAL WOMEN’S TEAM CAPTAIN CASSIE CAMPBELL ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

CALGARY, ALBERTA – Hockey Canada announced on Wednesday that Cassie Campbell, a three-time Olympian and Captain of Canada’s National Women’s Team since 2001, is retiring from competitive hockey.

Campbell, 32, is the only Canadian hockey player, male or female, to captain two Canadian teams to Olympic gold medals.

In 157 career international games with Canada’s National Women’s Team, Campbell amassed 100 points, including 32 goals and 68 assists.

Since being named captain on November 27, 2001, Campbell has worn the ‘C’ for Canada in all fifty international games in which she has dressed. With Campbell as its Team Captain, Canada’s National Women’s Team captured two Olympic gold medals, one World Championship gold medal, one World Championship silver medal and one Four Nations Cup.

Campbell has been with Canada’s National Women’s Team since the 1993-94 season, making her first international appearance at the 1994 World Women’s Championship. Over the course of her career, the native of Brampton, ON has captured a total of 17 gold medals and 20 medals in international competition, including: two Olympic gold medals (2002, 2006), one Olympic silver medal (1998), six World Championship gold medals (1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004) and one World Championship silver medal (2005).

Campbell began her career with Canada’s National Women’s Team as a defenceman, before moving to forward for the 1998-99 season. At the 1997 IIHF World Women’s Championship, Campbell was named to the All-Star Team as a defenceman.

Campbell will continue to be heavily involved in grass roots hockey programs, including the Chevrolet Safe and Fun Hockey Program, along with former NHL greats Mike Bossy and Bobby Orr. Campbell will also continue to be an ambassador with Ronald McDonald’s Children Charities, and will continue making corporate motivational speeches across Canada. Campbell will also be a television analyst on all of TSN’s international and national women’s hockey broadcasts this season, beginning with the Four Nations Cup in November.

Following four years with the University of Guelph from 1992 to 1996, Campbell embarked on an equally successful club team career, joining North York in the Central Ontario Women’s Hockey League for the 1996-97 season, followed by two seasons with the Beatrice Aeros (now named the Toronto Aeros) of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) and four seasons with the Calgary Oval Xtreme, three in the NWHL (2000-04) and one season (2004-05) in the Western Women’s Hockey League (WWHL).

“While it is difficult for me to retire from the game that has given me such pleasure, I can now look back with great fondness on my time with the National Team and my years playing hockey,” said Campbell. “I would like to take this time to thank Hockey Canada, all my former teammates as well all my coaches, my friends and family and all of the fans across the country for all their support over the course of my career.”

“Cassie Campbell’s contributions to women’s hockey go far beyond her tremendous success with the National Women’s Team,” said Bob Nicholson, President of Hockey Canada. “Cassie has been and will continue to be an ambassador for the women’s game, as well as a role model and hero to thousands of young girls playing hockey in Canada. Hockey Canada wishes Cassie well in her future projects and we look forward to working with her in continuing to grow female hockey in Canada.”

CASSIE CAMPBELL MEDIA AVAILABILITY TODAY

DATE: Wednesday, August 30, 2006

TIME: 1:00 pm (Mountain)

LOCATION: Hall of Champions
Hockey Canada Head Office
2424 University Drive NW
Calgary (AB)