In the hockey community, the women’s game has never been stronger.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Hockey Canada has collaborated with some of the most successful women in the game to answer one question:

Why is it important to see women in influential positions in the game?

Alex Clarke (Drake, Sask.)

Clarke began officiating when she was 11 years old. and became the first woman to officiate in the Western Hockey League (WHL) in September 2021. She is also one of the first women to officiate in the American Hockey League (AHL), and was chosen to represent Canada on the ice as an official at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

Angela James (Toronto, Ont.)

A Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, four-time world champion and a member of the Order of Canada, James recorded 33 goals and 54 points in 50 games played with Canada’s National Women’s Team from 1990-1999. Today, James is the co-owner and general manager of the Toronto Six in the Premier Hockey Federation.

Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont.)

A two-time Olympic gold medallist, three-time world champion and long-time alternate captain, Jenner is a leader on and off the ice with Canada’s National Women’s Team. She is closing in on 150 games wearing the Maple Leaf, recording 106 points (41-65—106) to rank 13th in all-time Team Canada scoring.

Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, N.S.)

Since joining the Team Canada program in 2018, Cheverie has become a familiar face behind the bench, helping guide Canada to gold medals at the 2021 and 2022 Women’s Worlds, and the 2022 Olympics. She made history last spring, becoming the first woman to serve as a coach with a men’s national team at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship.

Manon Rhéaume (Lac Beauport, Que.)

Rhéaume became the first—and still only—woman to play in an NHL game with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992. As a member of Canada’s National Women’s Team, the netminder is a two-time world champion and a silver medallist at the 1998 Olympics—the first year women’s hockey was included in the Games.

Marian Jacko (Wiikwemkoong First Nation, Ont.)

Elected to Hockey Canada’s Board of Directors in December 2022, Jacko is the Assistant Deputy Attorney General for the Indigenous Justice Division of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. Currently, she is the President of the Little Native Hockey League ("Little NHL"), the President of Anishnawbe Health of Toronto, and the head coach of the U18A team in North York.

Stephanie White (Toronto, Ont.)

A former coach of women’s hockey who won gold with Canada’s National Women’s Team in 2007 and silver in 2009 with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, White is currently BC Hockey's chair of the board. She is currently the director of athletes at the University of Windsor and previously served as the director of sport at Western University.

The inaugural Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) Draft is in the books, and Canadian hockey was the star of the show.

In total, more than half of their players who were selected in Toronto – 48 of 90 (53.3%) – hail from the Great White North.

The list features representation from eight Members, and 43 players who have worn the Maple Leaf in international competition at some level (or all levels) of the National Women’s Program – nine Olympic gold medallists, 13 Women’s Worlds gold medallists and nine U18 Women’s Worlds gold medallists among them.

(Ten other Canadians – all of them Olympic gold medallists – were among the players who inked deals during the early free-agent signing period, and were not part of the draft pool. That contingent included Team Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin, 2022 Olympic MVP Brianne Jenner and standout goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens, among others.)

The run of Canadians started from the No. 2 pick, where Toronto selected veteran defenceman Jocelyne Larocque. She was the first of three first-rounders, along with fellow blue-liners Ella Shelton (No. 4 to New York) and Erin Ambrose (No. 6 to Montreal).

The first 🇨🇦 are off the board in the #PWHLDraft2023!

Voici les premières joueuses du 🇨🇦 sélectionnées au repêchage 2023 de la LPHF!

🍁 Jocelyne Larocque (2-TOR)
🍁 @ella_shelton11 (4-NY)
🍁 @ambrose_13 (6-MTL) pic.twitter.com/dFm0NUV2Q6

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) September 18, 2023

Each of the 15 rounds featured at least two Canadians, with a high of five going in Round 2. Toronto selected a Canadian with 13 of its 15 picks, followed by New York (11), Montreal (nine), Boston (seven), Ottawa (six) and Minnesota (two).

With the National Women’s Under-18 Championship set to return to the ice in November for the first time since 2019, its alumna were all over the draft; 42 players represented their province or region at the tournament.

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY MEMBER

Ontario Women's Hockey Association (28) – Lexie Adzija, Erin Ambrose, Victoria Bach, Jaime Bourbonnais, Zoe Boyd, Emma Buckles, Michela Cava, Mellissa Channell, Elaine Chuli, Claire Dalton, Kristin Della Rovere, Jessica DiGirolamo, Jessie Eldridge, Loren Gabel, Brittany Howard, Sophie Jaques, Rebecca Leslie, Amanda Leveille, Emma Maltais, Kennedy Marchment, Kristin O’Neill, Jamie Lee Rattray, Ella Shelton, Natalie Spooner, Alexa Vasko, Kayla Vespa, Daryl Watts, Emma Woods

Hockey Quebec (7) – Ann-Sophie Bettez, Gabrielle David, Jade Downie-Landry, Élizabeth Giguère, Alexandra Labelle, Maude Poulin-Labelle, Audrey-Anne Veillette

Hockey Manitoba (5) – Ashton Bell, Kristen Campbell, Jocelyne Larocque, Corinne Schroeder, Kati Tabin

BC Hockey (2) – Olivia Knowles, Hannah Miller

Hockey Nova Scotia (2) – Allie Munroe, Jill Saulnier

Hockey Saskatchewan (2) – Brooke Hobson, Sophie Shirley

Hockey Alberta (1) – Jess Healey

CANADIAN PLAYERS DRAFTED – BY INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

National Women’s Team (19) – Erin Ambrose, Victoria Bach, Ashton Bell, Ann-Sophie Bettez, Jaime Bourbonnais, Kristen Campbell, Jessie Eldridge, Loren Gabel, Élizabeth Giguère, Brittany Howard, Jocelyne Larocque, Rebecca Leslie, Emma Maltais, Kristin O’Neill, Jamie Lee Rattray, Jill Saulnier, Ella Shelton, Sophie Shirley, Natalie Spooner

National Women’s Development Team (41) – Lexie Adzija, Erin Ambrose, Victoria Bach, Ashton Bell, Ann-Sophie Bettez, Jaime Bourbonnais, Zoe Boyd, Emma Buckles, Kristen Campbell, Elaine Chuli, Maggie Connors, Claire Dalton, Gabrielle David, Kristin Della Rovere, Jade Downie-Landry, Jessica DiGirolamo, Jessie Eldridge, Loren Gabel, Jess Healey, Brooke Hobson, Brittany Howard, Sophie Jaques, Olivia Knowles, Alexandra Labelle, Jocelyne Larocque, Rebecca Leslie, Amanda Leveille, Emma Maltais, Hannah Miller, Allie Munroe, Kristin O’Neill, Jamie Lee Rattray, Jill Saulnier, Corinne Schroeder, Ella Shelton, Sophie Shirley, Natalie Spooner, Kati Tabin, Alexa Vasko, Audrey-Anne Veillette, Daryl Watts

National Women’s Under-18 Team (31) – Lexie Adzija, Erin Ambrose, Victoria Bach, Ashton Bell, Jaime Bourbonnais, Zoe Boyd, Emma Buckles, Kristen Campbell, Mellissa Channell, Elaine Chuli, Maggie Connors, Claire Dalton, Gabrielle David, Élizabeth Giguère, Jess Healey, Brooke Hobson, Sophie Jaques, Olivia Knowles, Alexandra Labelle, Rebecca Leslie, Emma Maltais, Hannah Miller, Kristin O’Neill, Jamie Lee Rattray, Jill Saulnier, Corinne Schroeder, Sophie Shirley, Natalie Spooner, Alexa Vasko, Audrey-Anne Veillette, Daryl Watts

CALGARY, AB – Hockey Canada has unveiled the 46 players who will participate in the National Women’s Team September camp, presented by BFL CANADA, set for Sept. 11-16 at Canada Games Park in Thorold, ON.

Six goaltenders, 14 defence and 26 forwards were selected by Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC), vice-president of hockey operations, Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON), senior manager of player development and scouting, and head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, NS). Assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, NS), Caroline Ouellette (Montréal, QC/Concordia University, RSEQ) and Courtney Birchard-Kessel (Mississauga, ON/Boston University, HE), and goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, AB) also provided input.

“We are excited to unveil the 46 athletes who have earned invitations to our September camp in Thorold, and to hit the ice and begin preparations for the new season ahead,” Kingsbury said. “This a highly skilled group that combines veteran leadership with young talent, and we believe this group will push each other and provide us with the best opportunity to be successful in international competition throughout the year.”

The roster includes 20 players who won a silver medal at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship (Ambrose, Bourbonnais, Campbell, Clark, Desbiens, Fast, Fillier, Jenner, Larocque, Maltais, Maschmeyer, Nurse, O’Neill, Poulin, Rattray, Serdachny, Shelton, Stacey, Thompson, Turnbull), and nine who were not a part of the world championship team but appeared in a Rivalry Series game in 2022-23 (Bach, Bell, Carter, Eldridge, Gabel, Giguère, Julia Gosling, Sarah Potomak, Saulnier). It also includes 13 players who suited up for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team for a three-game series against the United States in August 2022 (Adzija, Carter, Connors, Gardiner, Julia Gosling, Nicole Gosling, MacKinnon, Markowski, Osborne, Serdachny, Shirley) and three who played for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team last month (Cherkowski, Murphy, Swiderski).

The players will be split into two teams – Red and White – for practices, fitness testing, off-ice sessions and a pair of intrasquad games on Sept. 14 and 16. The National Women’s Team September camp, presented by BFL CANADA, will serve as a critical step towards preparation for international competition throughout the 2023-24 season, including the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Utica, NY, next spring.

The intrasquad game on Sept. 14 will be open to the public and free to attend. Tickets for the game on Sept. 16 will be available at Canada Games Park, while both games will be livestreamed for free on HockeyCanada.ca. Media representatives wishing to attend camp must apply for accreditation here.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.

CALGARY, AB – Vice-president of hockey operations Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC), who has spent more than five years overseeing Canada’s National Women’s Program, will become the first general manager of the Toronto franchise in the new Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and will depart Hockey Canada.

“Gina’s contributions to Hockey Canada have helped create lifelong memories for millions of Canadian hockey fans and we join them in congratulating her on today’s announcement,” said Katherine Henderson (Thunder Bay, ON), incoming president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. “We are excited to work with Gina and the PWHL to support the upward trajectory of women’s hockey and ensure it continues to grow and inspire the next generation of participants and fans.”

Following a 10-year playing career, Kingsbury joined the Hockey Canada office in June 2016 as director of hockey operations, and officially took over the National Women’s Program on July 10, 2018. She was promoted to vice-president of hockey operations in March 2023, becoming the first woman to hold the title while overseeing the men’s, women’s and para programs.

“I am extremely grateful for all my experiences and time with Hockey Canada. Over the years, I have met the most incredible people through this great game and organization, and I want to thank Hockey Canada for providing me the opportunity to represent my country both as an athlete and a vice-president and general manager,” Kingsbury said. “It has been an honour and a privilege, and one that I will be forever grateful for. While it is beyond difficult to leave behind what I consider a dream job, I believe this is the best opportunity for me and my family, and I look forward to the challenge of continuing to create opportunities in women’s hockey through the PWHL.”

During her tenure, Kingsbury helped lead Canada’s National Women’s Team to back-to-back gold medals at the 2021 and 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championships, and added four silver (2016, 2017, 2018, 2023) and one bronze (2019) at Women’s Worlds. She also won silver and gold at the 2018 and 2022 Olympic Winter Games, respectively, and helped guide Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team to three gold medals (2019, 2022, 2023) at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, along with four silver (2016, 2017, 2018, 2020). Kingsbury also served as an assistant coach at the 2016 U18 Women’s Worlds, winning a silver medal.

“Gina has made a tremendous impact on Hockey Canada, the National Women’s Program and the game across the globe,” said chief operating officer Pat McLaughlin (Saint John, NB). “While it is difficult to lose a person who has done so much to make our organization successful, we thank Gina for her dedication to our organization for the better part of 17 years.”

As a player, Kingsbury won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 2006 and 2010, and collected three gold medals (2001, 2004, 2007) and three silver (2005, 2008, 2009) at the IIHF World Women’s Championship. She also won gold medals at the 2000 3 Nations Tournament and Four Nations Tournament, and at the 2003 Air Canada Cup with Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team. She tallied 86 points (35-51—86) over 137 career games with Team Canada, and currently ranks 20th all-time in points with Canada’s National Women’s Team.

“I cannot thank Gina enough for her contributions to our hockey operations department and the organization as a whole over the past seven years. She has been instrumental in bringing our National Women’s Team back to the top of the IIHF Women’s World Ranking, and implementing a culture within our program that allows athletes and staff to flourish,” said Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of hockey operations. “While it will be difficult to replace someone who brings a strong passion and winning pedigree like Gina does, we wish her all the best in her new role with the PWHL.”

Moving forward, day-to-day operations of the National Women’s Program will be overseen by Salmond as well as members of the organization’s hockey operations department.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X and Instagram.

CALGARY, Alta. –Hockey Canada has unveiled the coaching staffs for Canada’s National Women’s Team, Canada’s National Women’s Development Team and Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team for the 2023-24 season, with seven alumnae among those behind the bench.

Troy Ryan (Spryfield, NS) returns for his fourth year behind the bench as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team, joined by assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, NS), Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, QC/Concordia University, RSEQ) and Courtney Birchard-Kessel (Mississauga, ON/Boston University, HE), as well as goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, AB) and video coach Andrew Boucher (Timmins, ON).

“We’re excited about the coaching staff, including a number of alumnae, we have assembled for our women’s programs for the upcoming season,” said Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC), vice-president of hockey operations. “We are grateful for the commitment many of our coaches make to return year after year to lead and develop our athletes, and look forward to the leadership and expertise they will bring in leading our teams on the international stage.”

Ryan recently became the first coach to serve on the coaching staff for both Canada’s National Men’s Team and Canada’s National Women’s Team, winning a gold medal as an assistant at the 2023 IIHF World Championship and silver as head coach at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship. Ryan is going into his fifth season as head coach of the National Women’s Team after serving as an assistant coach for nearly four seasons (2016-19). Ryan coached Team Canada to back-to-back gold medals at the IIHF Women’s World Championship (2021, 2022), in addition to a gold medal at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. He also earned a silver medal at the 2018 Olympics, silver Women’s Worlds in 2017 and bronze in 2019.

Cheverie won a silver medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship. She also added gold medals as an assistant at Women’s Worlds in 2021 and 2022, and at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Cheverie became the first woman to serve on the coaching staff with one of Canada’s national men’s teams at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship. Nationally, she won a silver medal as head coach of Team Nova Scotia at the 2023 Canada Winter Games, the province’s first-ever medal in women’s hockey. She was also the first woman hired as a full-time assistant coach in U SPORTS with the Ryerson University men’s hockey team for five seasons (2016-21).

Ouellette was recently announced as an honoured member of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023. In May, she was also inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame. She is entering her third season as the associate head coach at Concordia University. Internationally, she won a silver medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship, along with gold in 2022 and bronze in 2019. As a player, she won four Olympic gold medals and six world championships during an illustrious 17-year international career.

Birchard-Kessel is entering her first year as an assistant coach at Boston University. Prior to joining BU, she spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Princeton University women’s hockey team (2019-23). She won a gold medal as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2023 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, and gold as an assistant at U18 Women’s Worlds in 2019, and has been an assistant with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team on two occasions (2017, 2019).

Canada’s National Women’s Team will head to southern Ontario for its Fall Festival training camp from Sept. 10-17, in preparation for the 2023-24 season, which includes the Rivalry Series, with dates and locations to be announced in the future. The season will conclude with the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship, tentatively scheduled for April 2024 in Utica, New York.

For a full list of staff for Canada’s National Women’s Team and a list of camp support staff, please click here.

Cheverie returns as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Development Team, alongside assistant coaches Rachel Flanagan (Pontypool, ON/University of Guelph, OUA) , Noémie Marin (Acton Vale, QC/John Abbott College, CEGEP) and Cassandra Turner (Campbellford, ON/Quinnipiac University, ECAC), as well as goaltending coach Sheldon Goertzen (Saskatoon, SK/University of Saskatchewan, CW) and Boucher as video coach.

Flanagan recently completed her 16th season as head coach of the University of Guelph women’s hockey team. During her tenure, Flanagan has led the Gryphons to a U SPORTS national title in 2019, in addition to three Ontario University Athletics (OUA) titles, and she has been named the OUA Coach of the Year on five occasions. She served as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team during the Rivalry Series in December 2022, has served as an assistant with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team three times (2011, 2012, 2022) and was recognized as a BFL Female Coach of the Year in 2020-21.

Marin is entering her ninth season as the women’s hockey head coach at John Abbott College. She was previously the head coach of Kuper Academy (2012-14). Marin led the development team as head coach during the 2016-17 season and was an assistant with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2015 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. On the national stage, she was an assistant with Quebec at the 2015 National Women’s Under-18 Championship and led Quebec to silver as head coach at the 2019 Canada Winter Games.

Turner is entering her ninth season as head coach of Quinnipiac’s women’s hockey team, having led the Bobcats to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament in each of the last two seasons. In 2015-16, her first season as head coach, she led the team to 30 wins, an NCAA record for wins by a first-year women’s hockey head coach. Turner captured a silver medal as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2015 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, and won gold as an assistant in 2014.

Following her role as an assistant coach during the 2022-23 season, Tara Watchorn (Newcastle, ON/Boston University, HE) takes the reins as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team. She will be joined by assistant coaches Stefanie McKeough (Carlsbad Springs, ON/University of Ottawa, OUA) and Vicky Sunohara (Scarborough, ON/University of Toronto, OUA) , as well as goaltending coach Gord Woodhall (Winnipeg, MB/Winnipeg, MFHL) and video coach Stef Thomson (Oshawa, ON)

Watchorn was named head coach of Boston University in April, becoming the first alumna of the women’s program to serve as its head coach. She served as the first head coach of Stonehill College’s women’s hockey team (2021-23), earning NEWHA Coach of the Year honours in the program’s inaugural season. Prior to joining Stonehill, Watchorn served as an assistant coach with BU for four seasons (2017-20). A 2014 Olympic gold medallist as a player, she won back-to-back gold medals as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in 2022 and 2023.

McKeough recently completed her third season as an assistant coach with the University of Ottawa women’s hockey team. Prior to joining the Gee-Gees, she served as head coach of Göteborg HC of the Svenka Damhockeyligen (SDHL) in Sweden during the 2020 season following two years as an assistant. As a player, McKeough won a silver medal with Canada at the 2009 IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship.

Sunohara is entering her 13th season as head coach of the University of Toronto women’s hockey team, winning both OUA and U SPORTS Coach of the Year honours in three consecutive seasons (2020-23) and leading the Blues to the OUA championship last spring. She won a gold medal as an assistant coach at the 2022 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. Internationally, Sunohara won two Olympic gold medals in addition to seven world championship golds, and ranks 10th in all-time Team Canada scoring with 119 points (56-63—119) in 164 career games.

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team will gather in St. Catharines, Ont., for selection camp from Aug. 9-13 in advance of a three-game series against the United States, Aug. 14-20 in Lake Placid, New York. It will chase a third-consecutive gold medal at the 2024 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Switzerland, Jan. 6-14.

For a full list of staff for Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team and a list of camp support staff, please click here.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

BRAMPTON, Ont. – Canada’s National Women’s Team finished just short in its bid for a third-straight IIHF Women’s World Championship gold medal, falling 6-3 to the United States on Sunday night.

Canada took an early lead on a power-play goal from captain Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./PWHPA), but the Americans equalized before the end of the first period.

The cross-border rivals went back and forth in a fast-paced second period which ended with the Canadians in front 3-2 after 40 minutes thanks to a pair of goals four minutes apart from Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont./PWHPA). Renata Fast (Burlington, Ont./PWHPA) chipped in an assist on both Jenner goals.

The Americans tied the game early in the third period and took the lead for good with a pair of power-play markers in the final five minutes.

“Sometimes those games are difficult to process because everything is good, until it isn’t,” said head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S.). “It just kind of took a turn with the two penalties and the U.S. capitalizing. All I said to the group after the game was I just wanted to spend time with them instead of having something big and magical to say. I’m proud of the group, they’ve been resilient through so many of things the last few years, and they deserve any of the good that comes to them. We put a lot of focus on being really good teammates; I think this group exudes that, and both players and staff will learn from what could have done better to not be in this situation.”

Following the tournament, Sarah Fillier (Georgetown, Ont./PWHPA) was named Most Valuable Player by media and Top Forward by the IIHF Directorate, and Ann-Renée Desbiens (Clermont, Que./PWHPA) was named Top Goaltender. Fast, Fillier and Poulin were named to the media all-star team.

A full game summary and recap can be found at HockeyCanada.ca.

“It’s hard to put into words right now,” said Poulin. “This one hurts, for sure, especially on home soil, but this group is very special; we’ll learn from it and move forward, but it’s a tough one to swallow.”

“I’m very proud; this is a really special group,” said Jenner. “I think there’s a bit of disbelief because in our dressing room we believed so much that we were going to find a way to win. It stings right now, but we will learn from it and we’ll be back.”

Canada was perfect through the preliminary round, finishing atop Group A with wins over Czechia, Japan, Switzerland and the United States, outscoring its opponents 18-4. Canada booked its spot in the gold medal game with a 3-2 overtime win over Sweden in the quarterfinals and a 5-1 semifinal victory over Switzerland.

In 22 appearances, Canada has captured 12 gold medals at the IIHF Women’s World Championship (1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2012, 2021, 2022), in addition to nine silver (2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2023) and one bronze (2019).

Prior to the gold medal game, the IIHF announced that the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship will be held Utica, New York, tentatively scheduled for April 4-14.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or following along through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (APRIL 16)

Canada’s National Women’s Team is one win away from a third-consecutive gold medal at the IIHF Women’s World Championship, and its biggest rivals stand in the way – it will the United States in the final on Sunday night.

Last Game

Canada rode a hat trick from Sarah Fillier to the gold medal game, earning a 5-1 semifinal win over Switzerland on Saturday night. Fillier scored twice late in the second period to finally break a scoreless tie, and added a third in the final five minutes. Jamie Lee Rattray and Rebecca Johnston had the other goals for the Canadians, who outshot the Swiss 59-9.

The U.S. booked its place in the final with a convincing 9-1 semifinal win over Czechia on Saturday afternoon. Hilary Knight and Amanda Kessel had two goals and an assist each, Caroline Harvey had a goal and three helpers, and Tessa Janecke scored twice for the Americans, who pulled away with three goals in less than four minutes early in the second period.

Last Meeting

The teams met Monday night in their preliminary-round finale and, just like pretty much every time these teams meet, it was an absolute thriller. After the Americans scored twice in the last 40 seconds to force overtime and 15-consecutive shooters missed in the shootout, Jamie Lee Rattray tucked in the winner in Round 9 to give Canada a 4-3 victory and a perfect prelims. It was the 100th win all-time for Canada over the U.S.

What to Watch

Fillier continues to leave her mark on international hockey. The 22-year-old was named a media all-star at the 2022 Women’s Worlds in Denmark last summer after posting five goals and 11 points, and is up to seven goals and 11 points in six games at this tournament after her hat trick performance against the Swiss. In 20 games across three world championships, the Brampton-born centre has 28 points (15-13—28). A lot of numbers to digest, but they all equate to one thing – keep your eyes on Sarah Fillier.

A big key for the Canadians? Stay out of the penalty box. The U.S. has been deadly with the power play, bringing a tournament-best 52.4% success rate (11 for 21) into the gold medal game. It struck four times in five chances against the Czechs in the semifinals, getting goals from four different players. Overall, eight different Americans have struck with the player-advantage, including two each from Kessel, Harvey and Hannah Bilka.

A Look Back

These two teams have played in some historic matchups over the years — this is all-time meeting No. 176 —including the seven-game Rivalry Series this season and 20 of 21 gold medal games at Women’s Worlds. The most recent came last summer in Herning, Denmark, when Brianne Jenner scored twice and Desbiens made a huge save in the dying seconds to a secure a 2-1 Canadian win and a 12th world title.

All-time record: Canada leads 100-74-1
Canada goals: 484
United States goals: 422

GAME STATS | LIVE BLOG

BRAMPTON, Ont. – Canada’s National Women’s Team booked its spot in the gold medal game at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship following a 5-1 semifinal win over Switzerland on Saturday night at the CAA Centre.

• Sarah Fillier (Georgetown, Ont./Princeton University, ECAC) led the way for Canada with a hat trick, giving her a tournament-leading seven goals.
• Jamie Lee Rattray (Kanata, Ont./PWHPA) and Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, Ont./PWHPA) also scored.
• Natalie Spooner (Scarborough, Ont./PWHPA) contributed three assists.
• Erin Ambrose (Keswick, Ont./PWHPA), Jaime Bourbonnais (Mississauga, Ont./PWHPA), Emma Maltais (Burlington, Ont./Ohio State University, WCHA), Sarah Nurse (Hamilton, Ont./PWHPA), Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./PWHPA) and Claire Thompson (Toronto, Ont./PWHPA) added an assist each.
• Ann-Renée Desbiens (Clermont, Que./PWHPA) stopped eight of nine shots.
• Canada outshot Switzerland 59-9.

Following the game, Poulin, Renata Fast (Burlington, Ont./PWHPA) and Blayre Turnbull (Stellarton, N.S./PWHPA) were named Canada’s top three players of the tournament.

Next Game:

Canada vs. United States (gold medal game) – Sunday, April 16, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Quotes:

“I think we were pretty happy with our start. We knew eventually we were going to wear them down and something was going to go in. It was about sticking to our plan and not getting individual, and that’s what we did. Overall, we’re also super happy with how everyone played, everyone up and down the lineup got in, which was nice especially as we have back-to-back games and the opportunity to play for a gold medal.”

• Fillier on a total team effort

“I thought tonight we didn’t give them much offensively and I thought we as a team were better offensively. We attacked the net more, mixed it with both high offence and low offence and scored a power-play goal. We’re excited to be in the situation and have the opportunity to play for a gold medal, but we’re not looking ahead. We still have to break down tonight’s game and see what we can learn, but we still have little improvements to make as a group and hopefully between tonight and tomorrow we can do that.”

• Head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S.) on his team peaking at the right time

“I think when you play really good goaltenders, it makes you a better goal scorer. It really does start from our group in the sense that with Ann-Renee, Emerance and Soupy (Kristen Campbell), those are some of the best goaltenders in the world. The fact that we can practice against them really enables us to be able to put what we practice into games, so when you can get 40 or 50 shots on goal a couple are going to end up in the back of the net.”

• Nurse on the team’s 113 shots on goal the last two games

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 Instagram.

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. SWITZERLAND (APRIL 15)

TV: TSN | Stream: TSN Direct

It’s Semifinal Saturday at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship, and Canada’s National Women’s Team faces Switzerland with a place in Sunday’s gold medal game on the line.

Last Game

Canada survived a major scare from Sweden in their Thursday quarterfinal, getting two goals from Sarah Nurse – including the overtime winner – as part of a 3-2 victory. Blayre Turnbull had the other goal for the Canadians, who outshot the Swedes 54-14 but were stymied time and time again by Emma Söderberg, and allowed a game-tying goal in the final 10 seconds for the second time in as many games.

The Swiss erased an early deficit in their quarterfinal against Japan, scoring the game’s final five goals to earn a 5-1 win and book their semifinal spot. Lara Stalder was in on all five goals, scoring once and adding four assists, Rahel Enzler had two goals and a helper, and Alina Müller added a goal and two assists.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Swiss met 10 days ago in the prelim opener for both. The line of Nurse, Sarah Fillier and Natalie Spooner recorded a goal and an assist each, and Ann-Renée Desbiens made 12 saves to post the shutout in a 4-0 Canadian win.

What to Watch

Early in the tournament, head coach Troy Ryan talked about wanting better starts from Team Canada. After the last two games, the focus has turned to finishing strong. The Canadians have allowed game-tying goals in the final 10 seconds against the United States and Sweden before pulling out a pair of victories. The legend of Canada’s National Women’s Team in crunch time is well-established, but as the games get more important, they’d like to avoid leaving it (literally) to the last second.

The trio of Müller, Stalder and Enzler have almost single-handedly (triple-handedly?) pulled the Swiss into the semifinals. Through five games, the top line has combined for nine goals (the Swiss as a team have 12) and 25 points, and it had four goals and 11 points in the quarterfinal win over Japan. Needless to say, they’ll be important if Switzerland hope to spring an upset.

A Look Back

Canada has dominated the head-to-head history with the Swiss, winning all 18 games played, including all 11 at the Women’s Worlds, and holding a sizeable advantage in goal differential.

The best offensive performance belongs to Poulin, who recorded a four-goal game against the Swiss at the 2013 Women’s Worlds. There have been four five-point efforts, including two – by Natalie Spooner and Claire Thompson – in the preliminary-round meeting between the teams in Beijing.

All-time record: Canada leads 18-0
Canada goals: 147
Switzerland goals: 8