CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced Friday its plan to help Canada’s National Women’s Team prepare for the 2020 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Halifax and Truro, N.S. National team athletes will gather for a series of four-day mini-camps beginning next week in Montreal. 

The seven mini-camps will take place in Montreal, Toronto and Kitchener and practices will be open to the public. Next week’s camp at the Université de Montréal includes 30 invited players. It begins Monday with ice times scheduled through Thursday. Details on future camps will be announced closer to their start dates.

The mini-camp concept was conceived by Hockey Canada staff working in conjunction with members of the National Women’s Team leadership group. The camps were identified as being required to fill the void left by the ceasing of operations by the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.

“This is an unusual season for our national team athletes. For the last 12 seasons they’ve had different options to play on a club team and that’s no longer the case,” said Gina Kingsbury, director of women’s national teams with Hockey Canada. “We’ve worked with the leadership group, taking into consideration the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) and its plans, to schedule these mini-camps. We are thankful for the commitment of our national team athletes and very thankful for the support of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors in making these camps a reality.”

In addition to the camps, Hockey Canada and USA Hockey are planning a series of games between the international rivals in the lead-up to the world championship.

“This is a unique time for Canada’s National Women’s Team and for the women’s game,” said Scott Smith, president and chief operating officer with Hockey Canada. “It’s important that our athletes be prepared to compete for gold at the world championship on home ice, and we believe these mini-camps are a key part of that process. More important is the commitment of our national team players to the long-term health of the women’s game. We are thankful to our board of directors for its on-going support of growing grassroots hockey for boys and girls in Canada.”

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.