EDMONTON, Alta. – Alberta will play a key role in the preparation of Canada’s National Women’s Team for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

On Oct. 3, the 28 players who were selected to the team’s centralized roster embarked on Where the Journey Begins presented by Imperial Oil – a 24-game schedule that sees the team travel to all corners of the province to play opponents from the Alberta Midget Hockey League. On Tuesday, Hockey Canada and Oilers Entertainment Group confirmed that Canada’s National Women’s Team will play the final game of a six-game series against its U.S. rivals at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 5 p.m. MT.

“We are extremely honoured to host the final game of this six-game series before Canada's National Women’s Team heads to the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang to proudly represent our country and our beloved sport of hockey,” said Bob Nicholson, Oilers Entertainment Group CEO & vice-chair. “OEG is committed to growing the game of hockey at all levels and we’re excited to bring this Canada-USA rivalry match-up to our fans at Rogers Place.”

The six-game series will see the cross-border rivals play three games in each country, beginning on Oct. 22 in Quebec City. Winnipeg will host the second Canadian stop on Dec. 5, while the Americans will host games in Boston, Mass. (Oct. 25), Minneapolis, Minn. (Dec. 3), and San Jose, Calif. (Dec. 15) before the teams head to the Alberta capital to wrap up the series Dec. 17 in the Edmonton Oilers’ state-of-the-art facility.

“The series against the United States not only benefits our preparation, but also helps drive the interest and passion in fans on both sides of the border as we build towards February,” said Laura Schuler, head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team, who won three gold medals at the IIHF World Women’s Championship and an Olympic silver medal as a player. “It’s only fitting for our team to close out the Canada-U.S. series in Alberta, where the team has been centralized since August, and we’re looking forward to showcasing our game in Edmonton.”

Tickets for the Dec. 17 game in Edmonton will go on sale at Ticketmaster.ca to the general public beginning Friday, Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. MT.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada, will carry all six games of the Canada-U.S. series; check local listings for details.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Twitter.com/HC_Women.