Via WHL.ca / May 5, 2010 /

Calgary, AB – The WHL is proud to announce that nine WHL graduates have been named to Canada’s Men’s National team for the 2010 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Germany from May 7 - 23.
 
Hockey Canada named 15 players and one alternate player to the roster for the tournament on April 16th, then added another seven players to the list on Saturday.  Canada’s official roster does not need to be submitted to the IIHF until May 7th, while additional players may be added after the tournament’s preliminary round.
 
Of the 23 players named to the Canadian team, nine are graduates of the Western Hockey League.
 
In goal, Team Canada will be represented by one former WHL player, with St. Louis Blues’ netminder Chris Mason named to the roster.  Mason, a veteran of last year’s squad, played three seasons with the Prince George Cougars from 1994-97, appearing in 153 career games.
 
Canada’s defense corps will feature three former WHL players including Kyle Cumiskey, Tyler Myers and Kris Russell.
 
Cumiskey, a member of the Colorado Avalanche, played three seasons with the Kelowna Rockets from 2003-06, helping the Rockets win the 2004 Memorial Cup and the 2005 WHL Championship.
 
Myers, a member of the Buffalo Sabres, also spent three seasons in Kelowna with the Rockets, leading the team to the 2009 WHL Championship while being named the 2009 WHL Championship series MVP.  Myers enjoyed a terrific rookie season for the Sabres in the NHL this year, being named a finalist for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.
 
Russell, a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, spent four years with the Medicine Hat Tigers from 2003-07, helping the Tigers capture the 2004 and 2007 WHL Championships.  A two-time Gold medalist with Canada’s National Junior team, Russell was named the WHL Player of the Year in 2007, the WHL Defenseman of the Year in 2006 and 2007, and the WHL Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year in both 2005 and 2006.
 
At forward, Team Canada features four former WHL stars – Evander Kane, Brooks Laich, Ryan Smyth and Ray Whitney – on the active roster and one current WHL star – Jordan Eberle – as an alternate.
 
Kane, a member of the Atlanta Thrashers, played two full seasons with the Vancouver Giants and was an underage member of the Giants when they won the 2007 Memorial Cup as the host team in Vancouver.  Kane enjoyed a strong rookie season as an 18-year-old for the Thrashers in 2009-10, scoring 14 goals and 26 points in 66 games.
 
Laich, a member of the Washington Capitals, spent three seasons in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors and Seattle Thunderbirds from 2000-03.  The 26-year-old Wawota, SK, product was named to the WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team in 2002-03 after leading the Thunderbirds to the U.S. Division title.
 
Smyth, a member of the Los Angeles Kings, played three seasons in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors from 1992-95.  Smyth is making his eighth appearance for Team Canada at the World Championships, having helped the team win Gold in 2003, ’04, and ’05.  Smyth, or Captain Canada, as he is sometimes referred to, also played for Team Canada at the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
 
Whitney, a member of the Carolina Hurricanes, played three seasons with the Spokane Chiefs from 1988-91.  The 38-year-old NHL veteran led the WHL in scoring, was named the WHL Player of the Year and led the Chiefs to the WHL and Memorial Cup Championships in 1990-91.
 
An alternate for Team Canada, Jordan Eberle has spent the last three seasons with the WHL’s Regina Pats.  The Edmonton Oilers’ first-round pick (22nd overall) in 2008, Eberle was named the 2010 WHL Player of the Year after scoring 50 goals and 106 points in just 57 games for the Pats.  The 19-year-old from Regina, SK, also played for Canada’s National Junior team in 2009 and 2010, and is the all-time leading goal-scorer in Canadian World Junior history.
 
For more on Canada’s National team and the 2010 IIHF World Hockey Championship, visit the Hockey Canada Website.