Dec. 21, 2005
Notre Dame, Ind. – Former Notre Dame hockey goaltender Morgan Cey (Wilkie, Sask.), a 2005 graduate, has been selected to represent his native Canada in the 2005 Spengler Cup Tournament to be held in Davos, Switzerland from Dec. 26-31. Cey, who signed a pro contract with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning in August, is currently a member of the East Coast Hockey League’s Johnstown Chiefs.
The Spengler Cup is the oldest European hockey tournament. The Cup was donated by Dr. Carl Spengler of Davos, Switzerland in 1923 with the understanding that Germany and Austria would be able to represent themselves internationally with the best club teams. The Spengler Cup is played every year in Davos, Switzerland between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Five teams participate in the tournament, with a select team from Canada usually included. (Canada first competed at the Spengler Cup in 1984). The five teams play a round-robin tournament with the top two teams playing in the final championship game.
Joining Team Canada in this year’s tournament is the host team – HC Davos – along with teams from Russia (HC Mettallurg Magnitorgorsk), Germany (EHC Eisbaren Berlin) and the Czech Republic (HC Sparta Praha).
Cey, who battled injuries early in the season, currently has a 5-3-2-3 record for Johnstown with a 3.10 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. Johnstown was 0-6-4 when Cey joined the team in early November and the Chiefs go into the Christmas break with a 9-12-2-6 mark. Cey will be joined on Canada’s roster by fellow ECHL goaltender Andy Chiodo who currently plays for the Wheeling Nailers.
Canada’s Spengler Cup team is made up of players currently playing in the American Hockey League, the East Coast Hockey League and in Europe. Cey was selected by Team Canada general manager Al Coates and NHL Hall-Of-Famer, Lanny McDonald, who serves as Team Canada’s director of player personnel. Marc Habscheid is Canada’s national team head coach.
Cey closed out his Notre Dame career in 2004-05 as the school’s all-time leader in goals-against average (2.79), save percentage (.913) and shutouts (6). He is second all-time in minutes played (6,465:04) and second in saves (3,146) while finishing sixth in wins (38). He also stopped four penalty shots in his career and turned in the second-best single-season goals-against average (2.42) and save percentage (.913) during the 2003-04 season when he helped Notre Dame to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
The 25-year old goaltender graduated in May of 2005 with a degree in sociology from Notre Dame. Cey and his Team Canada teammates open round-robin play on Monday, Dec. 26 when Canada faces HC Mettallurg Magnitorgorsk in Davos.