Canadian Women's Hockey Greats Cassie Campbell-Pascall and Sami Jo Small to coach 350 future hockey stars in two-day event

WINNIPEG, Feb. 13, 2013 /CNW/ - Two-time Olympic gold medalist and former Captain of Team Canada Women's Hockey Cassie Campbell-Pascall and two-time Olympic gold medalist Sami Jo Small are teaming up to coach young female athletes at the second annual Scotiabank Girls HockeyFest Manitoba. The two hockey greats will coach some 350 minor hockey players valuable ice and life skills during the two-day event which takes place on Sunday, February 17 in Winnipeg and Monday, February 18 in Brandon. 

"Along with our partners at Hockey Manitoba, we are excited to bring Scotiabank Girls HockeyFest back to Winnipeg and Brandon because it allows young athletes to come together as a community and learn valuable skills from strong role models," said Daryl Dunn, Scotiabank District Vice President, Winnipeg District. "This two-day event is a fabulous opportunity for young girls to learn on and off the ice skills from Canada's top female athletes, and also a way, we at Scotiabank, are supporting both hockey at the community level and also female players who are the future of the sport."

Scotiabank Girls HockeyFest offers girls from novice, atom and peewee 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. Sunday's event will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. at MTS Iceplex in Winnipeg. On Monday, Brandon's Westman Communications Group Place (Keystone Centre) will host the girls from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Both events will include a keynote address from the Olympians about the importance of the hard work and perseverance in helping them reach their personal and professional goals.

"Scotiabank Girls HockeyFest is a great way to both introduce young female athletes to Canada's game and also help hone the skills of some young stars in the making," said Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Scotiabank Hockey Ambassador. "As a coach, it means a lot to me to be a part of this event, to help young girls improve their game, and also give them the chance to learn both life and hockey skills that I hope will stick with them throughout their lives."

Scotiabank Girls HockeyFest began in Ottawa nine years ago. This year, it will be held in Winnipeg, Brandon, Ottawa and Toronto, and was held for the first time in St. John's last week during Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada, and in Calgary in the fall of 2012. To learn more about the event please visit www.scotiabankgirlshockeyfest.com.

About the Coaches:

Cassie Campbell-Pascall was the captain of the Canadian women's hockey team during the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics and is the only captain, male or female, to lead Canada to two gold medals. The first woman to do colour commentary on Hockey Night in Canada, Campbell-Pascall currently works as a TV analyst for TSN's women's hockey coverage and for CBC's Hockey Night in Canada and acts as special advisor on Scotiabank hockey programs.

Sami Jo Small, a powerful force in women's hockey, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time World Champion and two-time World Champion MVP. She co-founded the Canadian Women's Hockey League and is a proud member of the Toronto team in the CWHL.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is the Official Bank of the NHL®, NHL Alumni™, CWHL, Winnipeg Jets®, Toronto Maple Leafs®, Calgary Flames® whose home arena is the Scotiabank Saddledome, and the Ottawa Senators® whose home arena is Scotiabank Place. The Bank also has a partnership with the Montreal Canadiens®. Scotiabank has a long tradition of supporting hockey in Canada from local teams and minor hockey associations to professional players and leagues. Across Canadian communities from coast to coast, Scotiabank's Community Hockey Sponsorship Program reaches out to 4,500 minor hockey teams and leagues. To find out more about Scotiabank's hockey programs, please visit www.facebook.com/scotiahockeyclub.

Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad, through our global philanthropic program, 'Bright Future'.  Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has provided on average approximately $47 million annually to community causes around the world over each of the last five years. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.

SOURCE: Scotiabank - Sponsorships & Donations