Cujo Named to Canadian National Team
December 17, 2007 | Men's Hockey
Former Badger great Curtis Joseph was named one of the 22 players who will make up Canada's National Men's Team for the 2007 Spengler Cup, to be held from December 26th to 31st in Davos, Switzerland.
Joseph, who played for the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Phoenix Coyotes during his 17 seasons in the NHL and won an Olympic gold medal in 2002, will be one of Canada's goaltenders at the 2007 Spengler Cup. Joseph also appeared for Canada at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and the 1996 IIHF World Championship.
Joseph skated the 1988-89 season for Wisconsin, posting records for goals-against average and save percentage that stood for over 15 years.
The roster is comprised of Canadian-born players currently playing in Europe, along with NHL prospects loaned to Hockey Canada from National Hockey League teams. The team was selected by Hockey Canada executive vice-president of hockey Johnny Misley, Team Canada 's general manager for the 2007 Spengler Cup, along with head coach Sean Simpson and assistant coaches Jim Koleff and Doug Gilmour.
'We are extremely pleased to have Curtis back in a Canadian jersey for this year 's Spengler Cup,' Misley says. 'Curtis is really looking forward to this experience and playing for his country once again.'
This year's Spengler Cup will include Canada's National Men's Team, HC Davos (host team), Adler Mannheim (Germany), HC Moeller Pardubice (Czech Republic) and Salavat Yulaev Ufa (Russia).
Canada has appeared in six of the last seven championship games, winning the Spengler Cup in 2002 and 2003. Overall, Canada's National Men's Team has won the Spengler Cup 10 times (1984, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003), since first taking part in the tournament in 1984.
The Spengler Cup, held annually since 1923, is the oldest professional international hockey tournament in the world.
