6 players to make worlds debut as Canadian women's hockey team looks to youth
Shift comes after Canada lost to U.S. at Olympics, last year's world championship
When the Canadians arrive in Denmark in the coming weeks to try to reclaim the women's hockey world championship, it will be with a remarkably different roster than the one that lined up at the Olympics this past February.
That veteran-laden roster finished second to the Americans, after a hard-fought gold-medal game went into overtime.
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game → make → overtime
Zoom further out, and you'll see a Canadian team that failed to beat the Americans over eight straight matchups.
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that → zoom → matchups
At times, the Canadians looked slower and less connected than the Americans, who embraced young talent over the last four years.
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who → look → years
But if the roster for the first major tournament of a new Olympic quad is any indication, things are changing on Team Canada.
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things → change → Canada
Six players will make their world championship debut next month in Denmark, which will host the world championship from Nov. 6 to 16.
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which → make → 16
Mix of young, veteran players invited to Canadian women's hockey team camp
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"There is a great sense of energy, hunger and determination within this group," head coach Kori Cheverie said in a statement.
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Cheverie → invite → statement
"We’re looking forward to building on that momentum as we prepare to compete in Denmark.”
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we → look → Denmark
The roster includes several players who have made a mark at the Under-18 level, including 18-year-old Rosalie Tremblay (University of Wisconsin), 18-year-old Hayley McDonald (Ohio State University), and 19-year-old Sara Manness (Clarkson University).
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who → include → Wisconsin
Nineteen-year-old defender Chloe Primerano is one of six college players who will suit up for Canada at the upcoming women's world championship.
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who → suit → championship
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
Gascon has had a phenomenal start to her NCAA season, only allowing two goals in five games so far this season, while posting four shutouts.
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Gascon → have → shutouts
Other players forced their way on to the team with stellar performances in the PWHL, including Ottawa Charge forwards Rebecca Leslie and Sarah Wozniewicz, PWHL Las Vegas defender Kendall Cooper, PWHL Hamilton defender Nicole Gosling, and Montreal Victoire forward Jessie Eldridge.
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players → force → Leslie
Only three players have scored more goals than Eldridge since the league launched in 2024.
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league → score → 2024
Hockey Canada clarifies that Nurse didn't decline invite, she's unable to attend camp
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Leslie and Wozniewicz will make their world-championship debuts after helping lead the Ottawa Charge to the Walter Cup final.
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Leslie → clarify → final
Leslie scored 14 goals in 30 regular-season games for Ottawa last season, tying Eldridge for second in the league, behind Minnesota's Kelly Pannek.
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Leslie → score → Pannek
"This is a new landscape so the program needed to adapt to the new landscape," Canadian GM Danièle Sauvageau said last month, ahead of a training camp in Quebec City.
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Sauvageau → need → City
"The landscape is to look at who has success at the PWHL level, not only for a season but for the last [several seasons].
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who → look → seasons
If you look closely, there are players in that category who have been successful.
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who → look → category
Now what we want to see is could they translate this success, this level of skill, this level of compete with the best-on-best at the international level.
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they → want → level
In order to know that, we need to see them and we need to obviously see what they can do among the group of the players that will be in Quebec City."
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that → know → City
Several veterans to miss tournament
Only 13 members of the Olympic team were named to the roster.
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members → miss → roster
Several notable veterans will not be there, including captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who had major knee surgery in July.
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who → include → July
It's not yet clear when Poulin might be able to return to the ice.
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Poulin → return → ice
Also absent is Vancouver Goldeneyes forward Sarah Nurse, who missed training camp with back issues, and Toronto Sceptres forward Blayre Turnbull, who is pregnant.
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who → miss → issues
It's the first roster named by a new management group and coaching staff, led by Sauvageau and Cheverie.
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It → name → Sauvageau
Montreal Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie was named head coach of the Canadian women's national team this past summer.
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Cheverie → name → team
Cheverie's coaching staff will also include Caroline Ouellette (Montreal Victoire), Alison Domenico (University of Ottawa), and Kris Sparre (PWHL Hamilton).
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staff → include → Ottawa
Canada and the U.S. will play two exhibition games ahead of the world championship.
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Canada → play → championship
The first will be on Oct. 28 in Windsor, Ont., followed by a game in Plymouth, Mich. on Oct. 30.
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first → follow → Oct.
PWHL training camps are set to open on Nov. 18.
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camps → set → Nov.