Hockey fans can own a piece of Olympic history by joining the NHLPA in supporting "Hockey for Haiti" relief effort

May 11, 2010 , TORONTO - With bidding starting at 99 cents, hockey fans from around the world have the opportunity to own a piece of Olympic hockey history, while supporting the "Hockey for Haiti" relief project. Jerseys worn by NHL players during the 2010 Olympics, including Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla, Ryan Miller and Alex Ovechkin will be auctioned off by the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) on eBay.ca. Bidding on these unique items starts today.

All proceeds will go to "Hockey for Haiti", a joint initiative between Georges Laraque, the NHLPA and World Vision. In total, 140 Olympic hockey jerseys, worn by NHL players from 12 different countries, during the 2010 Olympics are up for auction.

To launch this one-of-a-kind auction, 23 jerseys from Team Canada players, including the jersey worn by Sidney Crosby when Canada faced off against Germany during their qualification round match-up and also the jersey worn by Jarome Iginla - who scored two goals in the February 23rd Canadian victory - will be up for bidding.

"Having the opportunity to participate in the Olympics and to represent Canada was a huge honour for me," said Iginla. "It is fantastic that the jerseys that all NHLPA members wore in Vancouver, will now benefit the Hockey for Haiti initiative."

Schedule of Auction Phases:

- May 11th - Team Canada, including Roberto Luongo, Jonathan Toews
- May 18th - Team USA, including Ryan Miller, Pat Kane
- May 25th - Team Finland, including Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu
- June 1st - Team Slovakia, including Jaroslav Halak; and Team Sweden, including Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Sedin
- June 8th - Team Russia, including Alexander Ovechkin; and Team Czech Republic, including Tomas Kaberle
- June 15th - Team Switzerland, including Mark Streit; Team Belarus, including Ruslan Salei; Team Norway; Team Germany, including Christian Ehrhoff; Team Latvia, including Oskars Bartulis

Each auction will last for seven days and bidding starts at 99 cents.

"We're thrilled that the NHLPA is starting all of the auctions at 99 cents," said Andrea Stairs, country manager of eBay Canada. "Hockey fans should bid early and often to get in on the action and keep in mind that all of the money raised goes towards the Hockey for Haiti program."

Hockey fans looking to bid on a jersey, should visit www.ebay.ca/nhlpa or www.nhlpa.com.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, please visit www.worldvision.org/press.