Link: http://www.themuse.ca/articles/35207

By Tristan Woodworth-Lynas October 13, 2010

The people of Newfoundland can start getting excited about hockey again with the arrival of the Four Nations Cup in November. The tournament will be held from the ninth to the thirteenth in St. John's and Clarenville. The top four female hockey teams in the world will compete: Canada, Sweden, Finland, and the United States.

The annual tournament began in 1996 as the Three Nations Cup, until Sweden joined in 2000. The tournament has been mainly dominated by the Canadian squads, which have won 11 gold medals in the 14-year history.

Despite the past history of the tournament, Coach Ryan Walter of the Canadian team thinks the competition level of the teams is going to be high. "These top four countries are by far the best, and the teams are very talented," he said.

The United States is the only other country to win the cup, three times victorious. They won the cup in 2008, ending a four-year streak for the Canadians. The Americans have 12 returning Olympians, eight of which played in the Vancouver Olympics this year. The Americans will start the tournament with a rematch against the Canadian team that shut them out 2-0 in the Olympics.

Each team will have a 24-player roster, leaving room for newer athletes to make the team, and to be evaluated by their respective hockey systems. The Canadian team has 15 returning gold medalists from the Vancouver Olympic games, including veterans Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford and Caroline Ouellette. There is still plenty of space left on the roster for the new generation of Canadian women hockey players. This tournament, according to Coach Walters, is highly useful in evaluating and gaining experience.

As always with a Canadian hockey team, expectations are high, as they are expected to walk in and win the tournament. However, the competition is very tough, and keeps getting tougher as women's hockey programs continue to improve year after year.

"We are extremely excited about coming to St. John's," said Walter, when asked about expectations in the tournament. "We're expecting to win. That's what we're looking for."

Walter is new to the scene, taking over Melody Davidson's old position. Walter was an assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks last season, when Henrik Sedin won the Hart Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player of the team, and the Art Ross trophy for the leading point scorer.

"I'm happy for the opportunity to Coach these elite athletes," said Walter.

Whatever unfolds in the tournament this year, it's going to be a fun November in St. John's, full of high-level hockey talent and names that have become commonplace in the homes of many Canadians.