Speed Skating Canada – Laval, June 27, 2018 – The short track speed skating national team, including Olympic medalists Kim Boutin, Samuel Girard and Charles Hamelin, are inviting Laval citizens to come and see them in action and to meet them on Saturday, July 7, at Place Bell in Laval (1950, Claude-Gagné Street, H7N 5H9) from 10 am to 1 pm.

Members of the men’s and women’s national teams will show what they can do on Place Bell’s Olympic-size rink during a training session that will be open to the public from 10 am to noon.

Then, from noon to 1 pm, members of the Olympic team that won five medals in PyeongChang, including Kim Boutin, Samuel Girard, members of the men’s relay squad including Charles Hamelin, Pascal Dion and Charle Cournoyer, as well as their teammate Kasandra Bradette, will meet with fans during an autograph session.

This event is being held as the national team is training all summer long at the Place Bell rink because their national centre, the Maurice-Richard Arena in Montreal, will be unavailable while being renovated.

“We are looking forward to meeting with people in Laval, who followed us and supported us these last few years and during the recent Olympic Games, at the new ice rink at Place Bell,” said Kim Boutin, winner of three medals at the PyeongChang Games. “We hope to see you there on Saturday, July 7, to show you how great our sport is and to inspire young kids into trying out short track speed skating!”

“It is an honour for us to welcome the short track speed skating national team, which has given us so many thrilling moments at the last Olympic Games in PyeongChang,” added Place Bell general manager Christiane Hémond. “We invite everyone to take advantage of this incredible opportunity to come see them in action and to meet them while they are here, at Place Bell, and also to come out and discover or rediscover this new building of theirs.”

On Wednesday, July 4, over 300 kids from day camps in Laval, including about 30 kids with a physical or mental impairment, will have an exclusive opportunity to attend a national team training session and to meet with the athletes afterwards.

About Speed Skating Canada

Speed Skating Canada (SSC) is the governing body for long track and short track speed skating in Canada. Founded in 1887, SSC is comprised of 13 provincial and territorial associations. Speed Skating Canada is committed to Challenge and Inspire Canada to Thrive through the power of Speed Skating. SSC recognizes and values its outstanding volunteers who give freely of their time and expertise. It also celebrates the 63 Olympic medals won by Canadian athletes since 1932, as well as the coaches, officials and other dedicated individuals who helped them on their journey. www.speedskating.ca

Speed Skating Canada would like to thank its sponsors:

Premium partner: Intact Insurance

Funding partners: Government of Canada (Sport Canada), Own The Podium, Canadian Olympic Committee

Official On-Ice High Performance Apparel: Li-Ning

Long Track Team Sponsor: KIA

Official Suppliers: Auclair, USANA

Official Technical Equipment Supplier: Nagano Skate

Sport Development Partners: Winsport Canada, Calgary’s Olympic Oval, University of Calgary, Institut national du sport du Québec, Government of Quebec, Canadian Sport Institute-Calgary, City of Montreal, Quebec City, Excellence sportive Québec-Lévis

About the Place Bell

Place Bell is a major multifunctional cultural and sports complex in Laval that offers Laval residents a unique experience. It has a 10,000-seat arena that can be converted into a performance venue – which includes 46 corporate loges – with an NHL-standard skating rink, an Olympic-sized skating rink with a 2,500 seating capacity and an NHL-standard community skating rink that can welcome 500 spectators.

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For information:

Patrick Godbout
Communications & Media Relations Manager
Speed Skating Canada
Email: pgodbout@speedskating.ca
Phone: 514 213-9897
Website: www.speedskating.ca 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SSC.PVC
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SSC_PVC

Christiane Hémond
General Manager
Place Bell
Email: c.hemond@cite.placebell.ca
Phone: 450 973-2275, poste 8824
Website: www.placebell.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PlaceBellLaval
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Place_Bell/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/placebell