4 reasons to watch Canada in the women's hockey world championship
Canada has shaken up the team at every level after some heartbreaking losses
Yes, there's the patriotism of cheering for your country, and yes, there's the Canada/U.S. rivalry, but those aren't the only reasons to watch Team Canada in the IIHF Women's Ice Hockey World Championship.
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those → watch → Championship
Canada dominated Sweden 5-1 in its world women's hockey championship opener Friday to kick off the 11-day, 10-nation tournament in Denmark.
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Canada → dominate → Denmark
Their next game is Sunday, when they face Japan.
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they → face → Japan
The U.S. and Canada are the tournament favourites, continuing a long-standing cross-border rivalry.
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U.S. → continue → rivalry
Canada has won 13 world titles followed by the U.S. with 11 spanning the previous 24 championships.
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Canada → win → championships
But this year, there are even more reasons it's worth paying attention to the Canadian team.
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it → be → team
The youngest lineup in decades
To quote Hockey Canada's Women's Worlds preview, "the kids have arrived."
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kids → quote → preview
The average age of this roster is 26 years, two months and 22 days — the youngest roster Canada has played at the Women’s Worlds since 2013, Hockey Canada notes.
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Canada → play → 2013
Three of the youngest players are debuting in Denmark: Rosalie Tremblay (age 18), Hayley McDonald (age 18), and Sara Manness (age 19).
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Three → debut → Denmark
Three other collegiate players, 19-year-old Chloe Primerano (University of Minnesota), 20-year-old Caitlin Kraemer (University of Minnesota Duluth) and 23-year-old Ève Gascon (University of Minnesota Duluth) return for their second world championship.
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players → return → championship
Canada's goalkeeper Ann-Renée Desbien makes a save during the IIHF Women's Ice Hockey World Championship Group B game between Sweden and Canada in Herning, Denmark on Friday.
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Desbien → make → Friday
2. Poulin is out
Hockey icon Marie-Philip Poulin has been sidelined due to knee surgery after tearing her ACL last spring, leaving the Canadian team without its captain for the first time in more than a decade.
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Poulin → sideline → decade
Poulin is widely regarded as one of the greatest women's hockey players of all time.
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Poulin → regard → time
She's won three Olympic gold medals, scoring the winning goal in all three of those gold-medal games to earn the nickname "Captain Clutch."
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She → win → nickname
- THE BUZZER
What to know for the women's hockey world championship
7 players to make worlds debut as Canadian women's hockey team looks to youth
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team → know → debut
A five-time Olympian, Poulin is also the all-time leading goal scorer for the Canadian women's team at the Winter Games with 20.
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Poulin → lead → 20
With her out, Canada is playing in its first international tournament without Poulin on the roster since she made her national team debut in 2009.
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she → play → 2009
Defender Renata Fast and forward Laura Stacey are sharing Canada's captaincy in Denmark.
3.
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Fast → share → Denmark
The Canadians ended last season with a heartbreaking loss in the Olympic gold-medal game against the Americans.
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Canadians → end → Americans
The group has new leadership, starting with Hockey Hall of Famer Danièle Sauvageau, who returns to the Hockey Canada fold as GM of the senior national team.
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who → have → team
Ottawa Charge GM Mike Hirshfeld and PWHL Detroit GM Manon Rhéaume are serving as assistant GMs.
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Hirshfeld → serve → GMs
There's also a new head coach: Kori Cheverie, who led Sauvageau's Victoire to a Walter Cup in the spring.
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who → be → spring
Montreal Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie hoists the Walter Cup alongside general manager Daniele Sauvageau during the Montreal Victoire's victory celebration in Montreal in May.
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Cheverie → hoist → May
4. Coming off some big losses
The Americans have won 10 of the past 14 worlds and claimed the 2025 title in the Czech Republic and the Olympic gold medal at the Milan-Cortina Games in February, beating Canada in overtime in both finals.
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Americans → come → finals
Canada was also swept in the Canada/U.S. Rivalry Series that concluded last December.
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that → sweep → Series
So now, with a fresh roster and without its greatest star, Canada is looking to reclaim the championship.
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Canada → look → championship
The final is set for Nov. 16.
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final → set → Nov.
While it's not necessarily guaranteed that Team Canada will make it, it's been Canada vs. the U.S. in 23 out of the last 24 finals.
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it → guarantee → finals
The lone exception came in 2019, when host Finland shocked the Canadians in the semis before losing a controversial final against the States.
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Finland → come → States
The Aporia
