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19 Players, Coach Represent ECHL In IIHF World Championship Division I

Published on April 13, 2004 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL is represented by 19 players and one coach in the 2004 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship Division I being played April 12-18 in Oslo, Norway and Gdansk, Poland. Group A in the IIHF World Championship Division I features teams from Belgium, Belarus, Great Britain, Hungary, Netherlands and Norway while Group B features teams from Estonia, Italy, Korea, Poland, Romania and Slovenia. The top finisher from each group will earn promotion to the 2005 IIHF World Championship in Austria.

Chris McSorley, who coached in the ECHL with Winston-Salem, Richmond and Toledo, is the head coach of the Great Britain team that has four players with ECHL experience, including Joe Watkins, who played for Bakersfield in 2003-04.

Han-Sung Kim, who became the first Korean player in the ECHL when he played for Greenville in 2003-04, is on the roster for the Korean team. Blaz Emersic, who played for Charlotte in 2003-04 and previously played for Arkansas, Greenville and Peoria, is on the roster for the team from Slovenia.

The 2004 IIHF World Championship will be played April 24-May 9 in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic. Group A has the Czech Republic, Germany, Latvia and Kazakstan; Group B has Slovakia, Finland, Ukraine and the United States; Group C has Sweden, Russia, Denmark and Japan; and Group D has Canada, Switzerland, Austria and France.

Ivan Prokic, who played for Bakersfield, Charlotte and Fresno is playing for the Serbia and Montenegro team in the IIHF World Championship Division II being played April 4-18 in Elektrenai, Lithuania.

Here is a list of ECHL players in the 2004 IIHF World Championship Division I being played April 12-18 in Oslo, Norway and Gdansk, Poland:

Australia - Don Burke (Roanoke-Valley, 1992-93 and Huntsville, 1993-94).

Belarus - Andrei Mezin (Roanoke, 1993-94) and Sergei Stas (Erie, 1993-95 and Greensboro, 1994-95).

Great Britain - Head Coach Chris McSorley (Winston-Salem, 1989-90; Richmond, 1990-91; and Toledo, 1992-94), Brent Pope (Wheeling, 1992-96; Tallahassee, 2000-01; and Florida, 2000-01), Colin Ward (Nashville, 1994-96 and Dayton, 1997-98), Joe Watkins (Bakersfield, 2003-04) and Rob Wilson (Roanoke Valley, 1990-91).

Hungary - Tomas Groschl (Augusta, 2000-01).

Italy - Jason Cirone (Birmingham, 1993-94) and Justin Peca (Erie, 1994-95 and Mobile, 1995-96).

Korea - Han-Sung Kim (Greenville, 2003-04).

Netherlands - Mark Bultje (Erie and Huntsville, 1993-94 and Jacksonville, 1996-97).

Norway - Joakim Wiberg (Johnstown, 1995-96).

Poland - Adam Borzecki (Jackson, 1999-2000) and Patrick Pysz (Columbus, 1996-97).

Slovenia - Blaz Emersic (Arkansas and Peoria, 1999-2000; Greenville and Peoria, 2000-01; and Charlotte, 2003-04), Ivo Jan (Johnstown, 1997-98), Tomaz Razinger (Peoria, 1999-2001) and Edo Terglav

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