CALGARY, Alta. – Laura Schuler (Scarborough, Ont./Dartmouth College, ECAC), is returning as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team for the 2016-17 season.

Schuler, who led Canada’s National Women’s Team during the 2015-16 season, is backed by Dwayne Gylywoychuk (Winnipeg/Hockey Manitoba) and Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S./Hockey Canada), who join her behind the bench as assistant coaches alongside goaltending coach Brad Kirkwood (Calgary/University of Calgary, CWUAA).

The coaching staff was selected by Melody Davidson, Hockey Canada’s general manager of national women’s team programs, in consultation with Tom Renney, Hockey Canada’s chief executive officer, and Scott Smith, Hockey Canada’s chief operating officer.

“This coaching staff brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our National Women’s Team program,” said Davidson. “This group has coached at various levels throughout the game, and their knowledge and leadership will be vital to our senior athletes as they prepare for upcoming camps and international events this 2016-17 season.”

Schuler served as head coach for Canada’s National Women’s Team during the 2015-16 season. She was the head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team that won gold at the 2014 IIHF Women’s World Championship and claimed gold at the same event in 2013 as an assistant coach. As a player, Schuler won three gold medals with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the IIHF Women’s World Championship (1990, 1992, 1997), and silver at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games. Schuler is presently the head coach at Dartmouth College.

Gylywoychuk won gold at the 2016 Nations Cup as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Development Team, and served as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2015 Four Nations Cup and 2016 IIHF Women’s World Championship. As an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, he won gold at the 2014 IIHF Women’s World Under-18 Championship.

Ryan is the Atlantic Canada female coach mentor with the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic, and is presently the head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team for the 2016-17 season. He served as head coach of Team Atlantic at the 2015 National Women’s Under-18 Championship, and has also been behind the bench at the Canada Winter Games (men’s and women’s hockey), World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, World Junior A Challenge, and RBC Cup.

Kirkwood served as the goaltending coach for Canada’s National Women’s Team during the 2015-16 season and won gold with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team at the 2015 Nations Cup. Kirkwood is currently the goaltending coach for the Calgary Dinos’ men’s and women’s hockey teams. 

Hockey Canada also announced the support staff that will work with Canada’s National Women’s Team, including:

• video coach James Emery (Calgary/Hockey Canada)
• therapists Christine Atkins (Fort MacLeod, Alta./University of Calgary, CWUAA) and Heather Corliss (Burns Lake, B.C./Okanagan Hockey Academy, CSSHL)
• Dr. Leanne Peters (Stratford, Ont./Hockey Canada)
• massage therapist Andrea Purdy (Toronto/Hockey Canada)
• strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Steinbach (Binbrook, Ont./CSI Atlantic)
• mental skills coach Kim Thompson (Orleans, Ont./Hockey Canada)
• equipment managers Robin McDonald (Didsbury, Alta./Hockey Canada) and Alana Goulden (Aurora, Ont./Ryerson University, OUA)

Canada’s National Women’s Team takes to the ice at its Fall Festival in Calgary, Sept. 11-18, 2016. The Fall Festival serves as an important evaluation opportunity prior to selecting the teams that will represent Canada at the 2016 Four Nations Cup in Vierumäki, Finland from Nov. 1-5 and the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Plymouth, Mich., March 31 – April 7, 2017.

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