CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced Thursday the 23 players who will be a part of Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship, taking place March 28-April 4 in Malmö, Sweden. 

The roster includes three goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards.

The roster was selected by Melody Davidson, general manager of national women’s team programs for Hockey Canada, along with head coach Doug Derraugh, assistant coaches Tim Bothwell and Dwayne Gylywoychuk, goaltending consultant Joe Johnston and Hockey Canada’s team of regional scouts.

“We will have a young roster at the IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship, but the players we have named today have experienced success at all levels, be it with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, Canada’s National Development Team, or Canada’s National Women’s Team,” said Derraugh. “We’re looking forward to a strong pre-competition camp in Toronto and will be ready before leaving to Sweden. We are excited to get on the ice in Malmö to represent our country.”

Canada’s National Women’s Team roster includes:

• 10 players who will compete in their first IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship (Campbell, Clark, Davis, Desbiens, Krzyzaniak, Lacquette, Maschmeyer, Rattray, Saulnier and Terry);

• 12 players who won a silver medal with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship in Ottawa, Ont. (Fortino, Birchard, Bram, Irwin, Jenner, Johnston, Lacasse, Larocque, Poulin, Rougeau, Spooner and Wakefield);

• 11 players who won a gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia (Fortino, Irwin, Jenner, Johnston, Lacasse, Larocque, Poulin, Rougeau, Spooner, Wakefield and Watchorn);

• 19 players who won a gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2014 4 Nations Cup in Kamloops, B.C. (Birchard, Bram, Campbell, Clark, Fortino, Irwin, Jenner, Johnston, Krzyzaniak, Lacasse, Larocque, Maschmeyer, Rattray, Rougeau, Saulnier, Spooner, Terry, Wakefield and Watchorn);

• three players who won a gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team at the 2015 Nations Cup in Füssen, Germany (Davis, Desbiens and Terry).

Prior to the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship, Canada’s National Women’s Team will participate in a pre-competition camp from March 18-24 in Toronto, Ont.

Canada opens the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship against the United States on March 28, and will also face Russia on March 29 and Finland on March 31 in preliminary round play.

The semifinals are set for April 3, with the bronze medal game and gold medal game on April 4.

All of Canada’s games at the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship will be shown by TSN and RDS, the official broadcasters of Hockey Canada. Check local listings for broadcast times.

The 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship is the 16th since the tournament’s 1990 inception. Canada’s National Women’s Team has appeared in every world championship gold medal game, winning 10 gold medals (1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2012) and five silver (2005, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013).

NOTE TO MEDIA: Francis Dupont, Hockey Canada’s manager of communications, will be on site with Canada’s National Women’s Team through the world championship. Please contact him for interview requests at [email protected] or 587-999-5681.

For more information on Canada’s National Women’s Team and Hockey Canada, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca/nwt, or follow along through social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hockeycanada and www.twitter.com/hc_women.