Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Olympic hockey teams suiting up against locals

WINNIPEG — Hockey fans in Winnipeg can get a taste of Olympic hockey right here prior to the opening of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Switzerland's national women's hockey team will play a pair of games in Winnipeg. The Swiss team will meet Balmoral Hall Blazers preparatory team on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Dakota Community Centre and will then take on the University of Manitoba Bisons women's hockey team on Monday at 4:30 p.m. at Max Bell Arena.

The men's teams from Switzerland and Belarus will play a pair of games at MTS Centre. The teams will meet on Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. and again on Feb. 11 at 11:30 a.m.

The Feb. 11 game is being billed as a "Schools Game" and over 7,500 tickets had been sold as of the most recent count released by True North Sports and Entertainment Limited and the upper bowl area of MTS Centre has been opened.

"Our team is very excited about it all," Steven Macdonald, Balmoral Hall's director of hockey operations said. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play against an Olympic-calibre team."

Macdonald said the Balmoral Hall team includes players aged 15 to 17 and plays in the Junior Women's Hockey League based in the U.S. which includes four Canadian teams and six American squads.

"We had a team meeting earlier this week," Macdonald said. "They're confident they'll put on a good show."

Tickets for the women's games can be purchased at the door while tickets for the men's games can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 780-3333 or www.ticketmaster.ca. Schools wanting to purchase group tickets may contact the Manitoba Moose office at 987-7825.

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Follow

  1. WFP Hockey

    Download our new hockey app for the iPhone for Winnipeg Jets updates

  2. Editor's Bulletin

    Sign up for daily bulletins from editor Margo Goodhand

  3. Winnipeg Jets

    All things NHL on our Jets landing page

  4. Twitter

    Follow our reporters and our news feeds on Twitter

  5. News Cafe

    Check out the menu, read our blog posts or get info on coming events

  6. Facebook Fanpage

    Follow our Facebook Fanpage for story links, contests and special events

letters

Make text: Larger | Smaller

Poll

Should infants be allowed in the House of Commons?

View Results

View Related Story