Canadian Women's Hockey Elites and Olympic Gold Medalists Cassie Campbell-Pascall and Tessa Bonhomme to coach aspiring young athletes at Scotiabank Girls HockeyFest Calgary

CALGARY, March 10 /CNW/ - Registration is now open for minor girls hockey players to be coached by two of Canada's elite women's hockey players.  Canadian hockey icon Cassie Campbell-Pascall will team up with Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) top draft pick and 2010 Olympic gold medalist Tessa Bonhomme to coach 300 minor girls hockey players at the third annual Scotiabank Girls HockeyFest Calgary at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Sunday March 27^th from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Scotiabank Girls HockeyFest offers girls from novice, atom, peewee and bantam levels the opportunity to improve both on-ice game skills and off-ice life skills with coaching from some of the best female hockey players in the world. To register, please visit www.scotiahockeyclub.com/liveit.  

"Opportunities for young women such as Scotiabank Girls HockeyFest demonstrates the desire and willingness of the athletes to learn more about, and celebrate the game of hockey, while improving their on-ice game skills and off-ice life skills with their peers," said Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Scotiabank Hockey Ambassador.  "These opportunities didn't exist when I was young, so I feel very proud to be a part of this event, working with Tessa, and sharing my experiences with the girls."

"Girls hockey has come a long way over the years," said Tessa Bonhomme, drafted to Scotiabank's roster of Hockey Ambassadors alongside Mrs. Campbell-Pascall earlier this year. "Scotiabank Girls HockeyFest gives girls a real taste of possibility. It shows them what they are capable of with the right training and encouragement." The two elite women's hockey coaches will be joined by varsity athletes from the U of C Dinos and the SAIT Trojans.

The all-day event is comprised of on and off-ice training, a tour of the Scotiabank Saddledome and a keynote address from both coaches on the hard work, dedication and determination practiced, that helped them both reach their goals.

"The Calgary Flames organization is thrilled to host Scotiabank Girls HockeyFest Calgary for its third year, this year at the Scotiabank Saddledome," said Jay Feaster, Acting General Manager, Calgary Flames. "We welcome the opportunity to continue to grow the great game of hockey and with two of hockey's most outstanding female players offering instruction to 300 young women, this is sure to be a spectacular learning experience for all of the participants."

"Scotiabank Girls HockeyFest offers our girls the opportunity to get some of the best advice and training, right from the pros," said Bernie Coates, Scotiabank District Vice-President, Calgary North District. "Today's lessons will give the young athletes exposure to great role models who will inspire a new generation of girls and young women to reach their goals both on and off the ice."

Cassie Campbell-Pascall, one of the most successful and recognized players in women's hockey, holds 21 medals from Olympic, international and national championships - 17 of them gold.  She is a former Captain of the Canadian National Women's Hockey Team and is the first woman to provide colour commentary for CBC's Hockey Night in Canada broadcast.  Mrs. Campbell-Pascall and Ms. Bonhomme are both Scotiabank Hockey Ambassadors. 

In addition to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Tessa Bonhomme, selected as the 2010 top draft pick for the CWHL, helped bring home the Gold medal at the 2010 Women's Four Nations Cup, the 2007 IIHF World Women's Championship and the 2005 Air Canada Cup as well as the Silver medal at the 2009 World Championship and the 2006 Air Canada Cup.  Now in her fifth year with the Canadian National Women's Hockey team, Ms. Bonhomme is originally from Sudbury, Ontario, and played for the Sudbury Lady Wolves from 1998-2003 before attending Ohio State where she was captain of the Ohio State Buckeyes women's hockey team in the NCAA.

About Scotiabank

As the Official Bank of the NHL®, NHLPA®, NHL Alumni™ and the CWHL, Scotiabank is very proud to be Canada's Hockey Bank.  Scotiabank has a long tradition of supporting hockey in Canada from local teams and minor hockey associations to professional players and leagues.  Through its partnerships, Scotiabank's hockey programs enrich the communities where Canadians live and work by engaging fans and players in new ways to celebrate our game.  Scotiabank supports the passion and pride Canadians feel for hockey and believes it is fundamental to helping young people learn about teamwork, camaraderie and the spirit of competition. Scotiabank's partnership with Pro Hockey Life provides exclusive in-store and online discounts to the Bank's customers, promotes advice on equipment and enhances the grassroots community programs of both companies.  Scotiabank also has partnerships with the Montreal Canadiens®, the Calgary Flames® whose home arena is the Scotiabank Saddledome, and the Ottawa Senators® whose home arena is Scotiabank Place.  For more information on Scotiabank's hockey programs visit www.scotiahockeyclub.com.

Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad.  Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has provided on average approximately $44 million annually to community causes around the world over the last 5 years. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.