CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced that Dawson Creek, B.C., will host the 2025 Para Cup, Nov. 30-Dec. 6 at the Ovintiv Events Centre.

The Para Cup, the final international competition prior to the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, returns to the West Coast for the first time since the inaugural tournament in 2007, when Canada won the gold medal in Kelowna at what was then known as the World Sledge Hockey Challenge.

The northern British Columbia community has previously hosted the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge twice (2015, 2017), the 2019 World Junior A Challenge and the National Women’s Under-18 Championship twice (2012, 2023).

“Dawson Creek is thrilled to welcome the world to Mile Zero of the Alaska Highway and host the 2025 Para Cup, a first for our city and the Peace Region,” said Mayor Darcy Dober. “This event is not only a key part of our tourism strategy but also highlights the strong partnerships we've built hosting international events. We’re proud to showcase our world-class facilities, incredible volunteers and passionate fans as we host the world’s best para athletes, bringing positive social, economic and community impacts to Dawson Creek and Northeastern B.C.”

The full tournament schedule will be announced at a later date.

Since the tournament’s inception in 2007, Canada has won five gold medals (2007, 2008, April 2011, November 2011, 2013), 10 silver medals (2009, 2012, January 2016, November 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024) and one bronze medal (2015).

“This tournament is a crucial part of our evaluation process as we continue to shape our Paralympic roster for 2026 in Italy,” said Russ Herrington, head coach of Canada’s National Para Hockey Team. “After a number of years competing for gold on the East Coast, we’re excited to come to B.C. and showcase the sport to the great hockey fans in the west.”

Early-bird ticket packages are on sale now. Click HERE for more information. Fans can also sign up to receive single-game ticket information or become a Hockey Canada Insider.

For more information on the Para Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

As a player and an official, I haven’t had what you would call a ‘traditional’ path in hockey.

My playing days didn’t begin until I was almost a teenager, and my time wearing the stripes stopped and started before I got onto the journey I find myself on today.

I guess I’ll start there. I work as a linesperson in a number of leagues in and around Quebec. This season, I’ve done games in the American Hockey League (AHL), ECHL, Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and Ligue de hockey junior AAA du Québec (LHJAAAQ), with U SPORTS and with Hockey Lac St-Louis, my local region.

Oh, and I serve as referee-in-chief of the AHM de Mont-Royal/Outremont, working with young officials.

And did I mention I’m a full-time student, finishing my degree in physical education at McGill University?

It’s a lot, but I love the game.

As I said earlier, I got into the game late. Growing up in Montreal, I watched PK Subban on TV and wanted to be just like him. I knew I wasn’t going to actually make it to the NHL, but I wanted to get on the ice and see where the game would take me. More than anything, I just wanted to have fun.

I was already an active kid. I was always outside, always playing games, but never anything too organized, outside of a couple years of soccer. In school, I lived for sports. I’d make sure I was on every single extracurricular team there was. And I’d be at school all day; from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., I’d be in class. And then from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., I’d be playing sports.

Finally, when I was 12, my mom agreed to sign me up for minor hockey.

I’m pretty sure I was late for my first tryouts, so I just ended up on a random team, but I loved it. I never played too competitive, never got to AAA or anything like that, but I was just happy to be playing.

Shortly after I started playing, my dad left. So, it was just the five of us – my mom, myself and my three siblings. Money was tight. But my mom kept me in hockey. She kept all of us in the things we loved. She always put her children first, and made sure we had what we wanted.

If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Heck, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t even know how to skate!

So… Mom, if you’re reading this, thank you. You are the reason I am here today. I love you.

I played minor hockey through to U18, and I thought my playing career was done at that point. Until I got a phone call from the coach at Cégep André-Laurendeau, asking if I wanted to join the college team. I was surprised, because I had never considered collegiate hockey, but I had a buddy on the team who recommended me.

It was already December, and the season was two months old, but I was on the ice the next day and quickly found myself a member of the Boomerang. That was my home for the next two years.

When that chapter was complete, I knew I wanted to stay involved in the game. I wanted to be active, wanted to be on the ice.

My coach told me he knew a guy if I ever wanted to be an official, so I thought… why not?

I did say earlier that my officiating career stopped and started. I actually got my start as an official when I was 16. But at that point, I didn’t want to work the two-man system and do U11 and U13 games. It wasn’t for me.

Fast forward four or five years, and it was a different story. The guy my coach knew was Doug Hayward, who has spent decades involved in officiating in Quebec. He’s has earned provincial and national recognition working with young officials, so when he spoke, I listened.

I decided to give it a real go this time.

It didn’t take long to realize officiating was something I was good at, and something that could be more than – as I considered it – a great way to serve the game and stay physically active. I was working AAA games my first year, and after that first year I got the call to go to the NHL Officiating Exposure Combine. Then I got hired in the QMJHL. Then I got hired in the AHL. Then I got hired in the ECHL. I was like, “Okay, this happening.”

Last season, I started to get more attention nationally and internationally. I attended the provincial Member camp in Quebec, and got an invite to the National High Performance Officiating Camp in Calgary, just about a year ago.

I’ve worked the TELUS Cup, Junior A World Challenge, Centennial Cup and Hlinka Gretzky Cup, working with some of the best officials from across the country. That kind of experience only makes me better on and off the ice.

Hockey Canada helped me get my B license with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), and that led to my first-ever international assignment – the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, Division 2A in Dumfries, Scotland.

That was a crazy experience. I spent the first three days just watching, because my luggage didn’t show up. I flew Montreal-Paris-Amsterdam-Edinburgh, and my connection in Paris was only 45 minutes. It’s a huge airport, so I had a feeling my luggage wasn’t making it.

But it was a really nice event. When you work IIHF events, you get to meet new people and you create friendships. We were 11 officials over there, and there are three or four that I still talk to on a regular basis. I’m excited to do more events like that in the future.

The question I get a lot is: How? How do I juggle officiating and school, along with everyday life?

I’d say it’s easier now than it was a few years ago. When I started officiating, I didn’t really know what was going on, so I’d bring my laptop to the rink. I’d show up half an hour early just to finish my work. And then when I got back home after hockey, I’d hop back on the computer and finish my assignments.

I just always have my computer when I travel. If I take a plane, which I do usually once a month, I’ll show up an hour earlier and just do some work to make sure it’s done.

Most of my teachers are understanding. There has definitely been some hockey that I have had to miss out on because I had to be in class, but for most of the part there has been a good balance.

Sleep has taken a bit of a hit, because I’ll either stay up really late or get up really early to finish some work because I know I’m travelling four or five hours for a game. The last thing I want to do when I get home at two in the morning is homework. So, I’ll sleep four or five hours, wake up early, finish my work and then submit it. I’ve made it work, and I’m almost done!

As exciting as being on the ice in some of the best leagues in the world is, there’s something special about working with the young officials with the AHM de Mont-Royal/Outremont.

There are two things I tell young officials:

Number one, you have to make sure you’re having fun. If you’re not having fun, this is not for you, and I won’t take it personally if you don’t want to officiate anymore.

Number two, everybody is human. It’s normal to make mistakes. I’m officiating at the professional level, but that doesn’t mean I don’t make a mistake. But you need to acknowledge your mistakes and learn from your mistakes to get better.

When I go to rinks to supervise, the officials get so stressed whenever they see me walk in the building. So, the first thing I do is tell them, “Let’s relax here. I’m not here to judge you. I’m here to help you.”

Before I wrap up, I just wanted to reiterate that I’m extremely lucky to be in the position I’m in, and I don’t take it for granted. It’s hard to believe I’ve only been an official for four years.

But it’s all about the love of the game, as I’ve mentioned a couple times.

The official may be the “law and order” on the ice, but I really do go out there with a smile on my face and try to make friends. I don’t want to make enemies. Whenever I have an opportunity to shoot a joke, I’ll take it. I’ll see a player, I’ll make a joke and we’ll build off of that.

The next time we’re on the ice together, I’m happy to see them and hopefully they’re happy to see me too.

Just like I tell my officials … if you’re not having fun, this probably isn’t for you!

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL) and National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), has announced that Drew Doughty (London, ON/Los Angeles, NHL) has been added to the Team Canada roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off, set for Feb. 12-20 in Montréal, Québec, and Boston, Massachusetts.

Doughty has spent his entire 17-year career with the Los Angeles Kings (2008-25), serving as an alternate captain for the last nine seasons (2016-25). He has won two Stanley Cups (2012, 2014) and the Norris Trophy (2016), and is the team’s all-time leader in points by a defenceman while ranking eighth in career scoring (156-513—669 in 1,179 games played) for the Kings. Internationally, he has won gold medals at the Olympic Winter Games (2010, 2014) and IIHF World Junior Championship (2008), as well a World Cup of Hockey championship (2016), and a silver medal at the 2009 IIHF World Championship.

Doughty replaces Alex Pietrangelo (King City, ON/Vegas, NHL), who is unable to participate in the tournament.

Canada will open the 4 Nations Face-Off against Sweden on Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT at the Bell Centre in Montréal. It will also take on the United States on Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT in Montréal and Finland on Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT at TD Garden in Boston before the tournament concludes with the championship game on Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT in Boston.

For more information on the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, please visit the official tournament page.

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

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL) and National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), has announced that Sidney Crosby (Cole Harbour, NS/Pittsburgh, NHL) will wear the ‘C’ for Team Canada at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, set for Feb. 12-20 in Montréal, Québec, and Boston, Massachusetts.

Connor McDavid (Newmarket, ON/Edmonton, NHL) and Cale Makar (Calgary, AB/Colorado, NHL) will join Crosby as alternate captains.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to again represent Canada on the international stage, and it is an honour to be named captain for the 4 Nations Face-Off on a team with so many great leaders,” Crosby said. “I look forward to serving as captain alongside Connor and Cale who are amazing leaders in their own right. All of us are excited to wear the Team Canada jersey and to kick off the 4 Nations Face-Off in front of Canadian fans.” 

“Sidney, Connor and Cale all possess exceptional leadership qualities, a determination to be the best and a burning desire to win,” said head coach Jon Cooper (Prince George, BC/Tampa Bay, NHL). “We are fortunate to have incredible leadership on our team. These players will lead Canada with pride as we set out to accomplish our goal of winning the 4 Nations Face-Off.”

Canada will open the 4 Nations Face-Off against Sweden on Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT at the Bell Centre in Montréal. It will also take on the United States on Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT in Montréal and Finland on Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT at TD Garden in Boston before the tournament concludes with the championship game on Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT in Boston.

For more information on the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, please visit the official tournament page.

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

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the 25 players who have been named to Canada’s National Women’s Team for the Canadian leg of the 2024-25 Rivalry Series, Feb. 6 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and concluding Feb. 8 in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.

Three goaltenders, eight defence and 14 forwards were selected by general manager Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC/Toronto, PWHL), head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, NS/Toronto, PWHL) and Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON), senior manager of player development and scouting. Assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, NS/Montréal, PWHL), Caroline Ouellette (Montréal, QC/Concordia University, RSEQ) and Britni Smith (Port Perry, ON/Syracuse University, CHA), along with goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, AB/Toronto, PWHL), also provided input.

“We are excited about the group of players we have assembled for these final two games against the Americans, which gives us another chance to look at the depth of our program while we look ahead to the IIHF Women’s World Championship in April,” said Kingsbury. “We are thrilled to immerse ourselves within two passionate hockey communities, meet with fans and showcase women’s hockey to everyone in Halifax and Summerside.”

The roster features 21 players who suited up for the first three games in the United States in November (Ambrose, Bell, Clark, Desbiens, Fast, Fillier, Gosling, Jenner, Larocque, Maltais, Maschmeyer, Nurse, O’Neill, Poulin, Rattray, Serdachny, Shelton, Stacey, Thompson, Turnbull, Watts).

Canada leads the United States 2-1 in this year’s Rivalry Series, posting back-to-back victories (5-4 and 4-1 wins) after dropping the opening game during the U.S. leg. Since the start of the Rivalry Series during the 2018-19 season, Canada holds a 17-14 advantage over the Americans.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast both games; please check local listings for details. Media wishing to attend the games in Halifax and Summerside must fill out an online accreditation form.

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, Instagram and TikTok.

OTTAWA, Ontario – The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has announced that beginning this year, the Most Valuable Player of the IIHF World Junior Championship will receive the Murray Costello Award.

Costello, who led the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and Hockey Canada as president for two decades, passed away in July 2024 at the age of 90.

“As an IIHF Lifetime Member and an inductee of the IIHF Hall of Fame, Murray had such a significant impact on hockey in Canada and around the world throughout his career,” said Luc Tardif, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation. “We thank his family for their support of this recognition and look forward to them handing out the Murray Costello Award to the tournament MVP tonight in Ottawa, where Murray lived for most of his life.”

As president of the CAHA, Costello created the Program of Excellence and was instrumental in organizing the first IIHF World Women’s Championship in 1990. Four years later, he led the merger of the CAHA and Hockey Canada.

Internationally, Costello was a member of the IIHF Council from 1998 to 2012, including as vice-president for five years. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2005.

“We are grateful to the IIHF for renaming the World Juniors MVP award in Murray’s honour and extending the connection between him and this tournament that meant so much to him,” said Katherine Henderson, president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. “Hockey continues to benefit from Murray’s tremendous contributions to the game, and we cannot think of a more deserving tribute to one of our sport’s greatest leaders.”

To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

OTTAWA, Ontario – Hockey Canada has announced the eight current and former athletes who have been elected by their peers to form its new National Team Athlete Committee.

The committee, which will represent the voice of Hockey Canada’s high-performance athletes across men’s, women’s and para hockey, will meet quarterly at a minimum and be empowered to make recommendations to Hockey Canada on issues that impact their fellow national team athletes.

Billy Bridges, Michael Mastrodomenico, Tyler McGregor, Bailey Mitchell (Bram), Markus Phillips, Alyssa Regalado, Kyle Turris and Kendra Woodland will each serve multi-year terms.

“Hearing from our athletes directly is critical to ensure that we are delivering the best possible experiences for our national teams, and we cannot wait to learn from the eight representatives on this new committee throughout their terms,” said Jonathan Goldbloom, chair of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors. “Gillian Apps and Amanda Fowler from our board invested a lot of time to help launch this initiative, and we are appreciative of their contributions that have led us to today’s announcement.”

To be eligible to run for election, athletes had to have competed for Canada at a world championship sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) or World Para Ice Hockey (WPIH) within the last eight years.

“The athlete voice is so important to all national sport organizations, and the creation of this committee is an exciting step to further strengthen the connection between Hockey Canada and our national teams,” said Katherine Henderson, president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. “We are grateful that Gillian, Amanda and their colleagues on the board have been so supportive of this committee, which will benefit all of our national team athletes.”

The election, which was overseen by AthletesCAN and scrutineered by a third-party organization, took place in fall 2024 and included votes from athletes who represented Canada in the last five years at an IIHF or WPIH championship.

To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

OTTAWA, Ontario – Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) have announced that five IIHF women’s championships will be played in Canada between 2026 and 2030 as part of a historic agreement between the two federations.

It will be the first time in women’s hockey history that a country hosts five championships in as many years.

Canada will welcome the best women’s hockey players in the world at the 2027 and 2030 IIHF Women’s World Championships, as well as the top under-18 players at the 2026, 2028 and 2030 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championships.

“Hosting IIHF championships is a tremendous privilege we do not take for granted, and we are grateful for their support of this landmark agreement,” said Katherine Henderson, president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. “Investing in the growth and development of women’s and girls’ hockey is a top priority for Hockey Canada, and we are thrilled that our athletes, coaches and staff will participate in an unprecedented number of world championships on home ice in the coming years.

“We look forward to welcoming the competing federations to Canada and elevating the tournament experience, including for our fans and alumnae as their support and contributions have made hosting this many marquee women’s hockey championships possible.”

The bid process for the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship is now open, with a tournament location expected to be announced in the spring.

Tomorrow, Canada will open the 2025 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship against Slovakia at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT, one of 14 tournament games broadcast by TSN and RDS.

Canada’s National Women’s Team will finish the 2024-25 Rivalry Series with games in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Summerside, P.E.I., in February, before the defending world champions travel to Czechia for the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship in April.

All of Canada’s National Women’s Team’s games this season are broadcast on TSN and RDS.

To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

OTTAWA, Ontario – With the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship beginning today, Hockey Canada is proud to recognize and thank the corporate partners who are supporting the tournament in Ottawa.

“The 2025 World Juniors would not be possible without the tremendous support we’ve received from our partners across the National Capital Region and beyond,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact. “From the moment Ottawa was awarded the tournament, we have worked with the host organizing committee to engage organizations that are excited to contribute to the legacy of this year’s event, which has led to one of the largest group of partners in World Juniors history.”

The successful bid to host the World Juniors was a partnership between the Ottawa Senators, Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), Ottawa Tourism, Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO), the City of Ottawa and the Province of Ontario.

Hockey Canada has 11 of its corporate partners activating at this year’s tournament, including Esso, TELUS, Tim Hortons, Bauer, BFL CANADA, PepsiCo, OK Tire, Timber Mart, AMJ Campbell and SportsPay.

TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, will broadcast all 29 tournament games.

In addition, 10 event partners are supporting the delivery of one of international hockey’s most prestigious tournaments: Access Storage, BUMP, Bumper to Bumper, Canadian Blood Services, FLO, LP Building Solutions, Myers Automotive Group, Niagara College, Supplement King and Walker Real Estate Group with RE/MAX.

The 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship begins today, with extremely limited ticket inventory for select games available at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Twenty-six players will wear the Maple Leaf when Canada’s National Men’s Team looks to capture a record 17th championship at the 2024 Spengler Cup, Dec. 26-31 in Davos, Switzerland.

The three goaltenders, nine defencemen and 14 forwards were selected by co-general managers Brad Pascall (Coquitlam, BC/Calgary, NHL) and Joe Thornton (St. Thomas, ON), alongside assistant general manager Hnat Domenichelli (Edmonton, AB/HC Lugano, NL).

“All of the players named today are extremely excited to represent their country and wear the Maple Leaf as they compete at the Spengler Cup,” said Pascall. “Our management group feels we have a good mix of experienced players with a wealth of skill and leadership. This is a unique and exciting tournament, and we know these players will embrace the challenge in front of them.”

The roster includes three players - Philip-Michaël Devos (Sorel-Tracy, QC/HC Ajoie, NL),Jonathan Hazen (Val-Bélair, QC/HC Ajoie, NL) and Josh Jooris (Burlington, ON/Genève-Servette HC, NL) – who will be representing Canada at the prestigious annual invitational tournament for the second year in a row. Jooris helped Canada win its most recent title in 2019.

In total, seven players have previous Spengler Cup experience with Team Canada (Carr, Curran, Devos, Gagner, Grégoire, Hazen, Jooris) and three represented Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship (Bowey, Gagner, Hudon).

Canada opens the 2024 Spengler Cup against host HC Davos on Dec. 26 at 2:15 p.m. ET/11:15 a.m. PT and will also face the DEL’s Straubing Tigers in preliminary-round play. The championship game is set for Dec. 31 at 6:10 a.m. ET/3:10 a.m. PT.

TSN, Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partner, will broadcast all 11 tournament games; check local listings for details.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Spengler Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca  or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.