GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (JAN. 12)

Canada’s National Women's Under-18 Team is one win away from an eighth world title, facing off against the United States in the gold medal game Sunday at the 2025 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

Last Game

Canada gained a measure of revenge in its semifinal, doubling up Czechia 4-2 one year after the Czechs shocked Canada by the same score in the semis. Stryker Zablocki continued her red-hot run, scoring once and adding an assist, as did Caileigh Tiller. Marilou Grenier made 19 saves, while Chloe Primerano chipped in with two assists, becoming the all-time leading scorer in National Women’s Under-18 Team history.

The Americans got a scare from Sweden in their Saturday semifinal, holding on for a 2-1 win to book their place in the final. The defending world champions got two second-period goals from captain Anabella Fanale and 17 saves from Morgan Stickney to advance to their 16th gold medal game.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Americans clashed in a three-game summer series in Thorold, Ontario, in August, with Canada taking two of three. In the series finale, Stryker Zablocki forced overtime by scoring with just 58 seconds left in the third period, but a seven-round shootout went the way of the U.S. in a 4-3 final.

The last meeting between the rivals at U18 Women’s Worlds came in preliminary-round play at the 2023 tournament in Ostersund, Sweden. Caitlin Kraemer scored twice, Emma Pais had a goal and a helper and the Canadians held the U.S. to only 11 shots on goal in a 3-1 victory that completed a perfect prelims for Canada.

What to Watch

While this space is typically reserved for individual efforts, we would be remiss if we let the tournament end without highlighting the top-to-bottom effort that has allowed Canada to return to the gold medal game. Through three preliminary-round wins and a pair of playoff victories, the Canadians have scored the most goals (37), taken the most shots (250) and allowed the fewest shots (63), while icing the tournament’s best power play (45%) and best penalty kill (94.7%). All 20 skaters have recorded at least one point, with three of the tournament’s top four scorers wearing the Maple Leaf – Zablocki (7-4—11), Primerano (4-6—10) and Maxine Cimoroni (4-6—10). And the goaltenders haven’t been too bad, either – Grenier has a .917 save percentage in her three starts, while Amelia Wilkinson has allowed just one goal across her 120 minutes for a 0.50 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.

The Americans have clamped down defensively and have yet to allow a goal at five-on-five in the tournament, giving up just two in total (both on the power play) across five games. A big reason they’re not allowing many goals? They’re not allowing many shots. The U.S. has given up just 64, with the 18 taken by Sweden the highest single-game total. Morgan Stickney has played every second between the pipes, fashioning a miniscule 0.40 goals-against average and .969 save percentage with three shutouts, while Fanale (5-4—9) and Mary Derrenbacher (2-6—8) have done the heavy lifting up front. And then there’s the experience factor; the Americans have eight players – Derrenbacher, Fanale, Caroline Averill, Margaret Averill, Haley Box, Natalia Dilbone, Megan Healy and Macy Rasmussen – back from the team that beat Czechia 5-1 to win gold a year ago in Zug.

A Look Back

When you include summer series, Canada and the U.S. have met 68 times since the creation of the U18 program in 2007. The Canadians have a 38-30 edge overall, while the Americans have won 13 of 22 at U18 Women’s Worlds.

But if history tells us anything, expect a close game; of the 22 meetings at the world championship, 10 have needed overtime and three others have been one-goal finishes in regulation time. Canada claimed its first-ever gold medal in extra time; current Seattle Kraken assistant coach Jessica Campbell provided the heroics in 2010, scoring the winner to put the Canadians atop the podium in Chicago.

All-time record: United States leads 13-9 (6-4 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 48
United States goals: 62

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. CZECHIA (JAN. 11)

After a historic quarterfinal victory, Canada’s National Women's Under-18 Team faces a familiar foe in the semifinals when it takes on Czechia on Saturday at the 2025 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

Last Game

Canada scored early and very often on Thursday, netting seven goals in each of the first two periods en route to a 17-0 win over Japan to equal its single-game scoring record. In the first 16 editions of the tournament, only six times had a Canadian skater recorded five points in a game. Four players did it against the Japanese – Stryker Zablocki (3-2—5), Maxine Cimoroni (3-2—5), Chloe Primerano (2-3—5) and Caileigh Tiller (2-3—5). Canada went 4-for-4 on the power play, tying the tournament record for PPGs in a game, and it finished with a massive 76-4 advantage in shots on goal.

The Czechs secured their place in the final four with a comfortable shutout win of their own, blanking Finland 6-0 on Thursday. Adela Fromova, Viktorie Jilkova, Dana Brezinova and Magdalena Felcmanova recorded a goal and an assist apiece for Czechia, while Daniela Novakova turned away all 18 shots directed her way to earn the clean sheet.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Czechs clashed in the preliminary-round finale on Tuesday, with the Canadians wrapping up first place on Group B with a 5-0 win. Zablocki led the offence with two goals, Sydney Sawyer had a goal and an assist, and Kate Viel chipped in with two helpers. Marilou Grenier posted the shutout with a 20-save effort, half of those coming in the third period.

What to Watch

With Primerano on the verge of more history, let’s put the focus once again on the Canadian captain. The North Vancouver, B.C., product – who already became the highest-scoring defender in U18 Women’s Worlds history earlier in the tournament – has moved within striking distance of a couple more significant milestones. With her five points against the Japanese (four of those, by the way came in the first period, just the fifth four-point period in tournament history), Primerano needs just one point to become the leading scorer in National Women’s Under-18 Team history (she’s even with Caitlin Kraemer) and three to surpass the iconic Marie-Philip Poulin as the highest-scoring Canadian in tournament history. She also has an outside shot at passing Erin Ambrose for most assists in Team Canada history (she needs five). All in all, just another ho-hum international appearance for Primerano.

The Czechs have their sights set on more history. One year ago, in the semifinals, the Czechs stunned a Canadian team that had been downright dominant; after outscoring its opponents 36-1 in four games, Canada dropped a 4-2 decision to Czechia in one of the biggest upsets in tournament history. Twelve months later, 11 players who were part of that win are back for the Czechs, although that list doesn’t include the three players who scored goals in that game or standout goaltender Aneta Senkova (who made 45 saves). Czechia has reached the final four with an offence-by-committee approach; no skater has more than four points, and nine have at least three. Novakova has been a workhorse, playing every second for the Czechs; she has fashioned a 2.24 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.

A Look Back

This is meeting No. 10 between the Canadians and Czechs, with Canada taking eight of the first nine (the only blemish was the semifinal a year ago in Zug) and outscoring Czechia 65-9.

A pair of future Olympic gold medallists made their marks in the first matchup at the inaugural U18 Women’s Worlds in 2008; Marie-Philip Poulin and Natalie Spooner recorded a hat trick apiece in an 11-2 Canadian win in Calgary. Poulin finished with five points in that win, still one of just six such performances by a Canadian in tournament history.

All-time record: Canada leads 8-1
Canada goals: 65
Czechia goals: 9

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. JAPAN (JAN. 9)

Canada’s National Women's Under-18 Team is on to the playoffs at the 2025 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, taking on Japan in quarterfinal action Thursday.

Last Game

Canada closed out a perfect preliminary round with a 5-0 win over Czechia on Tuesday. Stryker Zablocki led the way with two goals, Sydney Sawyer had a goal and a helper and Marilou Grenier turned aside 20 shots for the shutout. Chloe Primerano made more history in the victory; with her assist on Zablocki’s second goal, the Canadian captain became the highest-scoring defender in U18 Women’s Worlds history (19 points).

Japan dropped a heart-breaker in its prelim finale, falling 5-4 to Sweden on Tuesday. Koko Ruike and Nanaho Yamaguchi finished with a goal and an assist apiece for the Japanese, who led 3-1 early in the second period and 4-3 with eight minutes to go but couldn’t find the win column.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Japanese have met just once before at U18 Women’s Worlds, in the opener of the 2014 tournament in Budapest. In that one, Victoria Bach had two goals and an assist, Sarah Potomak added a goal and two helpers, and Lauren Wildfang chipped in with three assists as Canada outshot Japan 65-22 in a 7-1 win.

What to Watch

Zablocki had three goals in as many prelim games, picking up right where she left off a year ago in Zug, when she posted seven points (2-5—7) in six games as part of Canada’s bronze medal-winning contingent. In between, she had a 2024 to remember. The Prince Albert native earned MVP honours at the Esso Cup, co-leading the tournament with 11 points (8-3—11) in seven games while leading the Regina Rebels to their first national title, and then she was named Top Forward at the U18 Women’s National Championship, recording five points (3-2—5) in six games while helping Saskatchewan to a spot in the bronze medal game.

Youth is the name of the game for the Japanese, who ice the youngest roster in the tournament in Vantaa. Only two players – goaltender Haruka Kuromaru and forward Hina Fukuyama – are in their final year of U18 eligibility, meaning a whopping 21 can return for the 2026 tournament. (Canada, by comparison, has 15 players finishing their eligibility this year.) Offence was hard to find in the prelims for the Asian side; they scored only six goals in three games, with four of them coming against the Swedes (and three of those in a span of just over six minutes late in the first period and early in the second). Nana Akimoto – one of Japan’s 11 15-year-olds – was the lone skater to record more than one goal (she had two).

A Look Back

As mentioned above, just the one previous meeting, 11 years ago in Hungary.

All-time record: Canada leads 1-0
Canada goals: 7
Japan goals: 1

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. CZECHIA (JAN. 7)

Canada’s National Women's Under-18 Team closes out the preliminary round Tuesday at the 2025 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, facing off against Czechia with first place in Group B on the line.

Last Game

Canada made it two wins in as many days Sunday, beating Switzerland 5-1. Dorothy Copetti led the charge with a pair of goals as the Canadians took control with a four-goal second period. Sara Manness put together her second-straight two-point effort – scoring once and adding an assist – and Maxine Cimoroni chipped in with two helpers. Chloe Primerano scored her second goal of the tournament, pulling even with Jincy Dunne and Brigette Lacquette as the highest-scoring defender in U18 Women’s Worlds history.

The Czechs stayed unbeaten by doubling up Slovakia 6-3 on Sunday. Linda Vocetkova scored twice in the first period – two of Czechia’s 23 shots in the opening frame – while Barbora Proskova added a goal and two assists to help the Czechs erase a 3-2 second-period deficit.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Czechs last clashed a year ago in the semifinals in Zug, with Czechia securing a stunning 4-2 victory – its first over Canada at any level of international women’s hockey. Primerano and Stryker Zablocki scored to erase a two-goal lead early in the third period, but the Canadians – who came into the game unbeaten and having outscored opponents 35-1 – missed out on the gold medal game for the first time ever.

What to Watch

Sara Manness has been a force on the top line for Canada, scoring a goal and setting up three others through two games to sit second in tournament scoring alongside linemate Maxine Cimoroni. The MVP of the 2023 National Women’s Under-18 Championship, Manness has had an international coming-out party in Vantaa; she had just six points in 14 games wearing the Maple Leaf prior to arriving in Finland, but earned an assist in the pre-tournament win over the host country , picked up two helpers in the tournament-opening victory over Slovakia and had a goal and an assist against the Swiss. She also gets to do it alongside twin sister Kate; the sisters are the fifth set of first siblings to represent Canada at the U18 Women’s Worlds, but the first to do it together.

For the Czechs, Julia Jebouskova has done the heavy lifting up front. The 16-year-old, who was held off the scoresheet across six games at last year’s U18 Women’s Worlds, netted the overtime winner in the tournament opener against Switzerland before chipping in a goal and an assist to help Czechia pull away from Slovakia on Sunday. Jebouskova has been a scoring machine this season with the U19 program at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Minnesota, potting 22 goals (and adding 12 assists) in 25 games.

A Look Back

This is meeting No. 9 between the Canadians and Czechs, with Canada taking seven of the first eight and outscoring Czechia 60-9.

A pair of future Olympic gold medallists made their marks in the first matchup at the inaugural U18 Women’s Worlds in 2008; Marie-Philip Poulin and Natalie Spooner recorded a hat trick apiece in an 11-2 Canadian win in Calgary. Poulin finished with five points in that win, still one of just six such performances by a Canadian in tournament history.

All-time record: Canada leads 7-1
Canada goals: 60
Czechia goals: 9

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. SWITZERLAND (JAN. 5)

Coming off a tournament-opening victory, Canada’s National Women's Under-18 Team is right back on the ice Sunday at the 2025 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, taking on Switzerland in Group B action.

Last Game

Canada opened its preliminary-round schedule with a 6-2 win over Slovakia on Saturday. Despite outshooting the Slovaks 60-7, the game was even at 2-2 heading to the third period before B.C.-born blue-liners Danica Maynard and Chloe Primerano scored 2:11 apart to kick-start the Canadian offence. Maxine Cimoroni finished with a goal and an assist, while Sara Manness and Caileigh Tiller chipped in with two assists apiece.

The Swiss lost a nail-biter in their opener, falling 2-1 in overtime to Czechia on Saturday. Sonja Inkamp gave Switzerland the lead seven minutes into the third period, only for the Czechs to pull even with 2:08 left and win it in overtime. Amaya Iseli was terrific between the pipes, finishing with 36 saves.

Last Meeting

It was a quarterfinal clash a year ago in Zug, with Canada posting a 6-0 victory over the tournament hosts. Sienna D’Alessandro scored a pair of goals, Gracie Graham added a goal and two assists and Primerano continued her romp through the record books with three helpers. Rhyah Stewart was only required to turn away three shots as the Canadians finished with a one-sided 54-3 edge in shots on goal.

What to Watch

Cimoroni was a member of Canada’s bronze medal-winning roster a year ago, recording three points in six games to help the Canadians find the podium. The Toronto product almost matched those numbers in the first period Saturday, helping set up Hayley McDonald for Canada’s first goal of the tournament before scoring herself late in the opening frame. Cimoroni is having a season to remember; after leading Canada with five points (2-3—5) in the three-game summer series against the U.S., the Ohio State commit took home Most Valuable Player honours from the U18 National Women’s Championship in November while helping Ontario Red to another gold medal. She also ranks fifth in OWHA U22 Elite scoring, posting 32 points (17-15—32) in 20 games with the Mississauga Hurricanes.

It was tough to miss Inkamp on Saturday, if only because she never seemed to leave the ice. The Swiss defender played 29:10 in the overtime loss to the Czechs, almost two minutes than any other player. Back for her third U18 Women’s Worlds, Inkamp has spent parts of the last two seasons in the Women’s League, the top league in Switzerland, seeing time with HC Ambri-Piotta last season before getting into six games with the ZSC Lions this year. Inkamp is also somewhat of a rarity on the Swiss roster – a 2007-born player. Switzerland ices one of the youngest rosters in the tournament, with just nine players born in 2007. That’s the second-fewest behind only Japan, which has only two.

A Look Back

This is just the fifth meeting between the Canadians and Swiss, and the fourth to come in the prelims. Canada is perfect through the first four, outscoring Switzerland 44-3.

The first matchup came at the 2009 tournament in Germany; Casandra Langan made history in that one, becoming the first Canadian to score four goals in a game as part of a 16-1 win. Jamie Lee Rattray added a hat trick of her own, while Jessica Wong chipped in with two goals and an assist.

All-time record: Canada leads 4-0
Canada goals: 44
Switzerland goals: 3

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. SLOVAKIA (JAN. 4)

The quest for an eighth gold medal at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship begins Saturday as Canada’s National Women's Under-18 Team opens the 2025 tournament against Slovakia at Tikkurila Arena.

Last Game

Canada warmed up for the world championship with a 7-0 win over host Finland in pre-tournament action on New Year’s Day. Stryker Zablocki led the offence with two goals and an assist, Kate Manness and Sofia Ismael chipped in with one of each, and Marilou Grenier (14 saves) and Amelia Wilkinson (three saves) combined for the shutout.

The Slovaks were last in action on Dec. 15, closing out the Four Nations Tournament in Füssen, Germany, with a 3-2 loss to Hungary. Blanka Bereczkiova and Vanessa Eibenova scored the goals for Slovakia, which was four minutes away from a tournament title before the Hungarians rallied late.

Last Meeting

Canada and Slovakia have met just once, a quarterfinal matchup at the 2022 U18 Women’s Worlds. Balanced scoring was the name of the game in Wisconsin; seven different players scored goals and 14 recorded points in a 7-0 Canadian win. Four players – Madison Chantler, Ava Murphy, Karel Préfontaine and Mckenna Van Gelder – produced a goal and an assist each, and Mari Pietersen needed to make just five saves for the shutout.

What to Watch

Two words: Chloe Primerano. The 18-year-old (she turned 18 on Thursday) introduced herself to the hockey world with a beautiful shootout winner to help Canada’s National Women’s Team win Game 2 of the Rivalry Series in November, and now Primerano turns her attention back to her continued assault on the Team Canada record book at the U18 level. Already the highest-scoring defender in National Women’s Under-18 Team history, her assist in the pre-tournament win leaves her only eight points behind Caitlin Kraemer for the all-time scoring mark, and seven helpers behind Erin Ambrose. The North Vancouver, B.C., product also needs 11 points to surpass Marie-Philip Poulin as Canada’s all-time leading scorer at U18 Women’s Worlds (she led the tournament with 16 points in 2024). She’s also only three points from becoming the leading scorer among defenders in tournament history, trailing only Brigette Lacquette and Jincy Dunne.

The Slovaks have a phenom of their own in Nela Lopusanova, who is back for her third appearance at the U18 Women’s Worlds. She burst onto the scene as a 14-year-old in 2023, winning MVP honours with a tournament-leading 12 points (9-3—12) in five games, including a ‘Michigan’ goal. Most recently, she dominated at the Olympic qualifying tournament on home ice in Piestany in mid-December; Lopusanova helped Slovakia reach the final qualifying tournament after posting 18 points – 11 of them goals – in just three games, highlighted by four-goal games in wins over Kazakhstan and Slovenia. A University of Wisconsin commit for the 2026-27 season, Lopusanova is plying her trade this season with Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, New York, where she’s a teammate of Canadian forward Stryker Zablocki. Oh, and she is still eligible for one more U18 tournament in 2026.

A Look Back

Not much more to talk about than what we mentioned above – one game, one win.

All-time record: Canada leads 1-0
Canada goals: 7
Slovakia goals: 0

TAMPERE, Finland – Canada’s National Women’s Development Team came up short in the gold medal game at the 2024 Women’s Euro Hockey Tour, falling 5-3 to the United States on Sunday.

“It has been an incredible experience for our group,” said head coach Alison Domenico (Ottawa, ON/University of Ottawa, OUA). “We had a couple of new players from summer camp, we saw a lot of progress from our four games together and I’m really happy with where we ended off.”

Canada jumped out to the early lead when Anne Cherkowski (Coldstream, BC/Clarkson University, ECAC) converted a shorthanded penalty shot at 17:56 of the first period.

The Americans would strike for three goals in a span of 4:28 in the second period to take a two-goal lead into the intermission, but Jocelyn Amos (Ailsa Craig, ON/Ohio State University, WCHA) and Alex Law (Brooklin, ON/Boston University, HE) brought Canada back even at 3-3 with less than six minutes to go before the U.S. retook the lead and added insurance into an empty net.

Canadian goaltender Ève Gascon (Mascouche, QC/University of Minnesota Duluth, WCHA) was terrific, finishing the game with 33 saves.

A full game summary is available here.

“I’m super proud of the group. In the dressing room between the second and third periods, we never lost belief in each other,” said Amos. “We came out and knew we had to battle and make a push for it right away, and I’m proud we managed to tie the game up. We’re a younger team; I thought the tournament was a good opportunity to prove ourselves and it’s always an honour to represent Canada.”  

Canada reached the gold medal game allowing just one goal in its first three games; it finished atop Group B in the preliminary round with wins over Sweden (2-1) and Czechia (3-0), and blanked host Finland 3-0 in the semifinals.

Amos finished as Canada’s leading scorer in the tournament with five points, including three goals, while Gascon fashioned a 1.69 goals-against average and .932 save percentage across her three appearances.

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

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the 24 players who will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2025 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, Jan. 4-12 in Vantaa, Finland.

Three goaltenders, seven defence and 14 forwards were selected by Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON), senior manager of player development and scouting, along with head coach Vicky Sunohara (Scarborough, ON/University of Toronto, OUA) and assistant coaches Marc-André Côté (Montreal, QC/University of Moncton, AUS) and Stefanie McKeough (Carlsbad Springs, ON/Boston, PWHL). Goaltending coach Sheldon Goertzen (Saskatoon, SK/University of Saskatchewan, CW) also provided input.

Included among the 24 players are five who won a bronze medal at the 2024 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship (Cimoroni, Grenier, S. Manness, Primerano, Zablocki) and 19 who wore the Maple Leaf during a three-game series against the United States in August (Bertelsen, Cimoroni, Copetti, Grenier, Ismael, S. Manness, Maynard, McCullough, McDonald, Piggott, Primerano, Sawyer, Sorokan, Therien, Tiller, Tremblay, Viel, Wilkinson, Zablocki).

“I truly value the opportunity to work with this exceptionally skilled group of young athletes and dedicated staff at the world championship in January, and to compete for a gold medal in Finland,” Sunohara said. “We have a very competitive group that is proud to represent Canada, and the entire coaching staff is eager to get our group together and continue building the foundation of what it takes to play for Team Canada.”

Canada is in Group B with Czechia, Slovakia and Switzerland, while Group A includes Finland, Japan, Sweden and the United States. The Canadians open the tournament against Slovakia on Jan. 4 and will face Switzerland on Jan. 5 before its preliminary-round finale against Czechia on Jan. 7. All games will start at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT. Prior to the tournament, Canada will face the host Finns in an exhibition game at 6:30 a.m. ET/3:30 a.m. PT in Vantaa.

“This roster represents the building blocks for Canada’s National Women’s Program, and we are excited for these young athletes to proudly represent our country in Finland,” Piper said. “Being named to Team Canada represents years of hard work and dedication. We are incredibly proud of their growth and we look forward to watching them progress in their hockey careers.”

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team will look capture gold at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship for the first time since 2023; it has won seven gold medals (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2022, 2023), seven silver (2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020) and two bronze (2018, 2024).

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast 14 tournament games, including all Team Canada preliminary-round games, all four quarterfinals, both semifinals and the medal games; check local listings for details.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the 23 players who will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team as part of the Women’s Euro Hockey Tour, Dec. 11-15 in Tampere, Finland.

Three goaltenders, seven defence and 13 forwards were selected by Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON), senior manager of scouting and player development, in consultation with head coach Alison Domenico (Ottawa, ON/University of Ottawa, OUA), as well as assistant coaches Rachel Flanagan (Pontypool, ON/Toronto, PWHL) and Tara Watchorn (Newcastle, ON/Boston University, HE), and goaltending consultant Katie Greenway (Guelph, ON/University of Guelph).

“The 23 players that will represent Canada are a testament to the depth we have within our program and our ongoing effort to continue developing our athletes at all levels,” Piper said. “The Women’s Euro Hockey Tour will give our staff a unique opportunity to assess our development athletes in international competition, and we look forward to watching these players compete in Finland and evaluating player growth this season.”

The roster includes eight players who captured gold at the 2022 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Madison, Wisconsin (Adam, Amos, Baxter, Henderson, Law, MacLeod, Murphy, Swiderski), as well as seven players  who won gold at the 2023 U18 Women’s Worlds in Östersund, Sweden (Amos, Baxter, Kraemer, Law, Murphy, Pais, Venusio) and three players (Kraemer, Murdoch, Venusio) who won bronze at the 2024 edition of the tournament in Zug, Switzerland.

The six-team tournament features Canada in Group B with Czechia and Sweden, while Group A includes Finland, Switzerland and the United States. Canada will open the Women’s Euro Hockey Tour against Sweden on Dec. 11 at 8 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT and will take on Czechia to wrap up the preliminary round on Dec. 12 at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT.

“The Women’s Euro Hockey Tour is a fantastic opportunity for our National Women’s Development Team to gain valuable experience on the international stage,” said Dylan Rockwell (Calgary, AB), senior manager of hockey operations. “This tournament will be an important step in the development and assessment of our athletes for the future of Team Canada looking ahead to the Olympic quadrennials in 2030 and 2034.”

Canada’s National Women’s Development Team will participate in the Women’s Euro Hockey Tour for the first time. With joint commitment from Czechia, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, the December stop on the Women’s Euro Hockey Tour will feature Canada and the United States annually through 2028, aside from the 2026 Olympic year.

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

THOROLD, Ontario – Hockey Canada has announced the roster for Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team for a three-game series against the United States, Aug. 14-17 at Canada Games Park.

Twenty-three players – three goaltenders, seven defence and 13 forwards – will wear the Maple Leaf. The roster includes five players (Cimeroni, Grenier, Manness, Primerano, Zablocki) who captured a bronze medal at the 2024 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Zug, Switzerland.

The team was selected by Dylan Rockwell (Calgary, AB), senior manager of hockey operations, and Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON), senior manager of scouting and player development. Head coach Vicky Sunohara (Scarborough, ON/University of Toronto, OUA), assistant coaches Marc-André Côté (Montreal, QC/University of Moncton, AUS) and Stefanie McKeough (Carlsbad Springs, ON/Boston, PWHL), and goaltending coach Sheldon Goertzen (Saskatoon, SK/University of Saskatchewan, CW) also provided input.

“We have an incredibly promising group set to face off against the United States,” said Sunohara. “These players know our goal is to improve every day and we have been able to see the progress through selection camp. The series provides an excellent opportunity to develop our players and prepare them for more international competition later in the season.”

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team and Canada’s National Women’s Development Team will face the United States on Aug. 14, Aug. 15 and Aug. 17. All U18 games will begin at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, while the development games will start at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.

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