GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. FINLAND (APRIL 1)

Stream: HockeyCanada.ca/WomensWorlds

Before days before the start of the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship, Canada’s National Women’s Team is on the ice for its lone pre-tournament game Saturday night, taking on Finland in Niagara Falls, Ont.

Last Game

Canada completed a reverse sweep of the United States in the Rivalry Series on Feb. 22, using a four-goal second period to blank the Americans 5-0 in Laval, Que., in Game 7 and win the series despite dropping the first three games. Blayre Turnbull scored twice in 32 seconds, Marie-Philip Poulin crept closer to a milestone (more on that below) and Ann-Renée Desbiens made 25 saves for the Canadians, who outscored the U.S. 10-1 over the final two games.

The Finns last saw the ice on Feb. 12, downing Sweden 4-1 in Füssen, Germany, in the finale of the Euro Hockey Tour (EHT). Petra Nieminen, Viivi Vainikka and Sanni Vanhanen scored first-period goals for Finland, which outshot the Swedes 34-15. The Finns were perfect in the EHT, winning all 12 of their games.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Finns met in the opener of the preliminary round at the 2022 Women’s Worlds – a 4-1 win for Canada. Poulin and Sarah Nurse posted a goal and an assist apiece to pace the offence, and the Canadians finished with a 43-17 edge in shots on goal.

What to Watch

What will the lines look like for Canada? Poulin and Brianne Jenner are mainstays on the top line, but who will join them on the left wing? Where does Natalie Spooner slot into the lineup in her return to Team Canada, just four months after giving birth? How about NCAA standout Danielle Serdachny, who scored the overtime winner in Game 5 of the Rivalry Series in December? Look for head coach Troy Ryan to try different players in different positions before settling on his line combos for the tournament opener against Switzerland on April 5.

The legend of Jenni Hiirikoski continues to grow. The long-time Finnish captain is arguably the best blue-liner in the game, recognized seven times as Best Defence at the IIHF Women’s World Championship and twice more at the Olympics. But her career (and potentially her life) looked to be in danger when her throat was slashed by a skate during Game 2 of the SDHL final on March 19. Just two days later, though, the Luleå HF captain was behind the bench serving as a coach as her team finished off its fifth-straight Swedish league title. Simply amazing.

Chasing History

Poulin joined an exclusive group in Game 6 of the Rivalry Series on Feb. 20, reaching 200 points with Canada’s National Women’s Team and putting her name alongside Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford, Caroline Ouellette and Danielle Goyette as the only players to get to that number.

Next up? She sits just two goals shy of 100. Only Wickenheiser, Hefford and Goyette have hit the century mark in a Team Canada jersey.

A Look Back

Canada has just a pair of losses and a tie in 87 all-time meetings with the Finns, but the Nordic nation is always a tough matchup.

There have been plenty of impressive individual performances against Finland over the years, but two stand out. When the teams met at the 2006 4 Nations Cup in Kitchener, Ont., Jayna Hefford had a hat trick and four assists and Caroline Ouellette added a hat trick and three helpers to help Canada to an 8-1 win. Hefford’s seven points remain a single-game Team Canada record.

All-time record: Canada leads 84-2-1
Canada goals: 449
Finland goals: 111

BRAMPTON, Ont. – With less than one month until the puck drops on the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship, Hockey Canada and the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) have unveiled the pre-tournament schedule and training camp locations for competing teams ahead of puck drop on April 5.

Six communities across southern Ontario will play host to seven pre-tournament games featuring all 10 competing federations from March 29–April 2.

“The pre-tournament games provide a great opportunity to share our love of hockey and Canadian hospitality by welcoming these exceptional athletes to Ontario,” said Fran Rider, president and chief executive officer of the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association. “Games will be exciting, provide inspiration to young girls and others in the various communities and will support the growth and development of the game at local levels.”

Women’s Worlds Pre-Tournament Schedule

March 29 | France vs. University of Toronto | Varsity Arena | Toronto

March 31 | Germany vs. Switzerland | Sadlon Arena | Barrie
March 31 | Japan vs. Hungary | Canlan Sports | North York

April 1 | Canada vs. Finland | Gale Centre | Niagara Falls

April 2 | Sweden vs. Switzerland | Aurora Community Centre | Aurora
April 2 | France vs. Japan | Port Credit Memorial Arena | Mississauga
April 2 | Germany vs. Hungary | Canlan Sports | North York

Canada’s National Women’s Team will hold its pre-tournament camp at the Gale Centre in Niagara Falls, which will also play host to Finland. Aurora will host Sweden at the Aurora Community Centre, while Switzerland and Germany will practice in Barrie at the Peggy Hill Team Community Centre and Sadlon Arena, respectively. Japan and France will hold their camps at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, while Hungary will practice at Canlan Sports in North York and Czechia will station at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre in Whitby.

Hockey Canada and the OWHA would like to recognize and thank the Province of Ontario for providing $500,000 in funding support for the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship. Throughout Ontario, legacy initiatives will be established following the tournament that will benefit grassroots hockey for years to come.

“The Ontario government is proud to support the 2023 IIHF World Women’s Championship – a premier event that draws visitors to our province, stimulates economic activity in local communities and showcases Ontario as one of the best places to train, compete and excel in sport,” said Neil Lumsden, minister of tourism, culture and sport. “Congratulations to the world-class athletes whose skill and determination inspires everyone who shares a love of the game. I would like to thank Hockey Canada, the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association, the IIHF and the City of Brampton — as well as the organizing committee, coaches, officials and volunteers — for their ongoing efforts to make this event a success.”

Recent editions of the IIHF Women’s World Championship hosted in Canada have brought significant economic impact to the host provinces. British Columbia (2016) benefited from $7.4 million in economic impact throughout the province, with $6.2 million being generated in Kamloops alone. Ontario (2013) was even more successful, bringing in $14.3 million to the province, of which $8.8 million occurred in Ottawa. As with all IIHF events hosted in Canada, a legacy plan for the profits of the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship will support grassroots women’s hockey initiatives across Ontario through the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association and throughout Canada.

Fans interested in attending pre-tournament games can purchase tickets through local venues. Tickets to select IIHF Women’s World Championship games can be purchased at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

Canada’s pre-tournament game against Finland on April 1 will be livestreamed at HockeyCanada.ca. TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast all 31 tournament games from the CAA Centre in Brampton, providing extensive coverage throughout the event.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has announced the 23 players who will compete for a gold medal on home ice with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship, April 5-16 at the CAA Centre in Brampton, Ont.

Three goaltenders, seven defence and 13 forwards were selected by head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S.), in consultation with Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda), director of hockey operations, and Cherie Piper (Scarborough, Ont.), senior manager of player development and scouting. Members of the 2022-23 season coaching staff, including Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, N.S.), Doug Derraugh (Arnprior, Ont./Cornell University, ECAC), Rachel Flanagan (Pontypool, Ont./University of Guelph, OUA), Caroline Ouellette (Montréal, Que./Concordia University, RSEQ) and goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, Alta.), also provided input.

“Our staff had some very difficult decisions selecting this roster and that speaks to the depth that we have within our program,” said Ryan. “We are confident that we have assembled a talented roster with a great deal of character and leadership. Our entire staff is excited to have the opportunity to work with each of these athletes as we begin this journey toward a World Championship.”

The roster includes:

• One player who will make her IIHF Women’s World Championship debut (Serdachny)
• 18 players who captured Canada’s 12th women’s worlds gold medal at the 2022 event in Denmark (Ambrose, Campbell, Clark, Desbiens, Fast, Fillier, Jenner, Larocque, Maltais, Maschmeyer, Nurse, O’Neill, Poulin, Rattray, Shelton, Stacey, Turnbull, Zandee-Hart)

“We are extremely excited for the 23 players who will have the opportunity to wear the Maple Leaf on home ice and compete for a  gold medal in front of friends, family and Canadian hockey fans,” Kingsbury said. “It is special to host women’s worlds in Canada and welcome the nine other competing federations while showcasing the talent and class of competition in our game. We know the atmosphere in Brampton will be electric and we are excited for the chance to go for gold next month.”

The 10-team tournament features Canada in Group A with Czechia, Japan, Switzerland and the United States, while Group B includes Finland, France, Germany, Hungary and Sweden.

Canada will open the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship against Switzerland on April 5, and will also face Czechia on April 7 and Japan on April 8. It will close out the preliminary round against its cross-border rivals, the United States, on April 10, with all Team Canada preliminary-round games starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Prior to the start of the official tournament, Canada will play one pre-tournament game against Finland on April 1. Additional details about pre-tournament games will be announced in the coming weeks.  

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will carry extensive game coverage throughout the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship, with TSN airing all 31 games from the CAA Centre. RDS will provide coverage of all Team Canada games, two quarterfinals, both semifinals, and bronze and gold medal games.

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 eight silver (2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017) and one bronze (2019).

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.

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.

GAME STATS | LIVE BLOG

LAVAL, Que. – Canada’s National Women’s Team erased a three-game deficit, shutting out the United States 5-0 in Game 7 at Place Bell on Wednesday night to sweep the final four games of the Rivalry Series.

• Blayre Turnbull (Stellarton, N.S./PWHPA) led the offence, scoring a pair of goals 32 seconds apart as part of a four-goal second period.
• Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./PWHPA) scored her second goal in as many nights, moving her within two of the 100-goal milestone with Canada’s National Women’s Team.
• Victoria Bach (Milton, Ont./PWHPA) and Ella Shelton (Ingersoll, Ont./PWHPA) also scored.
• Laura Stacey (Kleinburg, Ont./PWHPA) had three assists.
• Emily Clark (Saskatoon, Sask./PWHPA) and Renata Fast (Burlington, Ont./PWHPA) added two assists each.
• Ann-Renée Desbiens (Clermont, Que./PWHPA) stopped 25 shots for the shutout.
• The U.S. outshot Canada 25-18.

Quotes:

“Any time we have a slow start or the game gets off on the wrong foot, generally it’s because we haven’t established a good forecheck. Sometimes you just have to get [the team] to regroup and get a good forecheck going. The goals in the second period were a result of good plays like good defensive zone coverage, a blocked shot or a push puck to the wall and they were able to transition in terms of offence.”

-- Head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S.) on the game adjustments for the final 40 minutes

“I’m really proud of everyone in the room and any of the girls who have a played a role in any of these games. It’s a hard thing to do, but if any group can do it, I believe it’s us. Getting the win is a great way for us to build momentum and hopefully keep it going as we head to Brampton [for the world championship].

-- Turnbull on the importance of the Rivalry Series win

“I think coming back after losing the first three games says a lot about the character and heart we have in our room. We knew we were in a tough spot, we knew we weren’t playing our best but we were going to do whatever we could to change that. We didn’t focus on the outcome, we showed up, put in the work, focused on the game in front of us and it worked in our favour.”

-- Stacey on the taking the series one game at a time

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. UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 22)

TV: TSN | Stream: TSN Direct

Winner take all. Canada’s National Women’s Team looks to complete the reverse sweep and come all the way back from a 3-0 deficit when the Rivalry Series comes to a close Wednesday night at Place Bell.

Last Game

In front of a raucous, sold-out crowd of 4,636 at the Colisée Vidéotron in Trois-Rivieres, Que., Canada evened up the series with a convincing 5-1 win over the U.S. on Monday night. Brianne Jenner paced the offence with a goal and two assists, Rebecca Johnston added a pair of helpers in her first international game since the Olympic final last February and Marie-Philip Poulin – who was honoured pregame in her home province for her award-winning 2022 – made history late, closing out the scoring with her 200th career point.

What to Watch

Momentum is clearly on the side of the Canadians, and it’s the top line leading the way. Poulin, Jenner and Johnston combined for six points on Monday night (in their first game together as a trio), and they’ll be looked upon again to provide offence in the finale. But let’s not sleep on the defence. Canada held the Americans to just 15 shots on goal in Trois-Rivieres, and it took more than 42 minutes for the U.S. to hit double digits.

With four of 13 forwards making their international debuts on Monday and heart-and-soul captain Kendall Coyne Schofield out of the lineup, Hilary Knight is doing the heavy lifting for the Americans. The long-time standout earned another point in the Game 6 loss, giving her a series-leading eight (four goals, four assists). She’ll be front and centre if the U.S. hopes to quell the Canadian momentum and lift the Rivalry Series trophy in Laval.

Welcoming the World

The IIHF Women’s World Championship is returning to Ontario for the first time since 2013 when Brampton plays host from April 5-16. It’ll be the fifth worlds to be played in Ontario (Ottawa – 1990, 2013; Kitchener – 1997; Mississauga – 2000).

Ticket packages are on sale now – $465 for all 31 games (plus taxes and fees). Tickets are also available for groups of 10 or more.

Chasing History

One milestone down, one to go. Poulin joined an exclusive group on Monday, joining Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford, Caroline Ouellette and Danielle Goyette as the only players to reach 200 points with Team Canada.

Next up? She sits only three goals shy of 100, which would put her alongside Wickenheiser, Hefford and Goyette.

A Look Back

It’s meeting No. 174 between the Canadians and Americans, the 72nd on Canadian ice and the eighth in Quebec (three in Montreal, one in Sherbrooke, one in Boisbriand, one in Quebec City and one in Trois-Rivières). Canada holds an all-time edge in the overall (98-74-1) the games played in Canada (41-30) and the games played in La Belle Province (5-2).

Canada’s four-goal win Monday was a bit of an anomaly in a head-to-head history that includes a long list of one-goal results. It’s just the third time since the start of the 2006-07 season that the Canadians have triumphed by four – it earned a 5-1 win in the preliminary round at the 2021 Women’s Worlds, and posted a 6-2 victory in a pre-2010 Olympics game (both in Calgary).

All-time record: Canada leads 98-74-1 (21-18 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 475
United States goals: 419

Marie-Philip Poulin has gone where only four women have gone before.

The Beauceville, Que., product recorded her 200th point with Canada’s National Women’s Team on Monday night – in her 167th game – with the final goal of a 5-1 win over the United States, joining Hayley Wickenheiser (379), Jayna Hefford (291), Caroline Ouellette (242) and Danielle Goyette (219) in reaching the milestone.

So how did Poulin get here? There have been countless highlights during Poulin’s almost 16 years wearing the Maple Leaf, but let’s take a look back at a few of the most memorable and important points she recorded on her way to 200.

1ST POINT – September 4, 2007

Poulin needed less than eight minutes of her first national team game to put her name on the scoresheet, earning the second assist on a goal by Bobbi Jo Slusar in a 4-1 win over Sweden at the Fall Festival in Prince George, B.C.

The youngest player at camp at just 16 years old, Poulin added two goals in that first game, and potted two more in a rematch three days later, finishing with five points in two games and setting the stage for what was to come.

25TH/26TH POINTS – February 25, 2010

The legend of Poulin as a big-game player officially began in Vancouver, when she scored both goals in a 2-0 win over the United States that gave Canada a memorable Olympic gold medal, its third in a row, on home ice.

She opened her unrivalled Olympic account (more on that later) with a goal in a tournament-opening win over Slovakia and added singles against Switzerland and Sweden, but it’s the two against the Americans, in a game watched by more than 7.5 million Canadians, that made her a household name.

50TH POINT – November 6, 2012

Poulin helped another Team Canada legend reach a milestone of her own at the 2012 4 Nations Cup in Kerava, Finland, earning the primary helper on Jayna Hefford’s 150th international goal to finish off a 6-0 win over the host Finns.

In addition to her 200 points, Poulin is within striking distance of a goal-scoring mark – she needs three to join Wickenheiser, Hefford and Goyette and the only players to score 100 goals with Canada’s National Women’s Team.

72ND/73RD POINTS – February 20, 2014

The Comeback. Poulin was front and centre again on the game’s biggest stage as Canada battled back to win an unlikely Olympic gold in Sochi. Down 2-0 to the Americans with less than four minutes to go, Brianne Jenner pulled Canada to within one … and Poulin took over from there.

After the U.S. hit the post on the empty Canadian net, Poulin buried a feed from Haley Irwin to tie the game with 55 seconds left and force overtime. And, of course, she provided the extra-time heroics as well, scoring on the power play to make it four Olympic gold medals in a row for Canada.

100TH POINT – December 19, 2016

Poulin became the 12th member of the 100-point club as only she could, reaching the century mark when she set up Jennifer Wakefield for the game-tying goal with 24 seconds remaining in the second game of a two-game series against the U.S. in Sarnia, Ont.

In true Poulin fashion, she added the game-winning goal 52 seconds into overtime, helping Canada to the series sweep.

150TH POINT – August 31, 2021

Another milestone, another overtime goal. Poulin reached 150 points – just the seventh to do it – 7:22 into the extra period in the gold medal game at the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Calgary, giving Canada a 3-2 win and its first world title since 2012.

As is her M.O., she was all over the scoresheet with gold on the line; point No. 149 came early in the second period when she set up Brianne Jenner to get the Canadians on the board and cut the U.S. lead to 2-1.

177TH/178TH/179TH POINTS – February 17, 2022

Captain Clutch was just that in Beijing, getting in on all three Canadian goals in a 3-2 gold medal game win over the U.S. She set up Sarah Nurse for the ice-breaker eight minutes in (passing Meghan Agosta for fifth in all-time Team Canada scoring), scored seven minutes later and added a second goal midway through the second period.

Poulin has played in four Olympic gold medal games and scored in all of them: two goals in Vancouver, two goals in Sochi, a goal in PyeongChang, and two goals and an assist in Beijing. In the three Canadian wins, she has the game-winner in all of them. Remarkable.

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) have announced that limited single-game tickets for the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship will go on sale this week, with tickets starting at $23, plus taxes and fees.

The tournament, which will take place April 5-16, includes two-time defending gold medallist Canada, back-to-back silver medallist United States and eight other federations that will compete for gold at CAA Centre in Brampton, Ont.

An exclusive pre-sale for single-game tickets will begin on Feb. 22 for eligible groups, including fans who signed up for the priority ticket list. The remaining inventory will go on sale to the public on Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. ET at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

The launch of single-game tickets will be the last opportunity for fans looking to watch the best women’s hockey players in the world take to the ice in April to secure their spot at CAA Centre, including for the gold medal game on April 16.

Due to extremely limited inventory, there will be a limit of two tickets per purchase for the gold medal game.

Between the IIHF Women’s World Championship and Rivalry Series games in Quebec between Canada and the United States, more than 100,000 tickets have already been accounted for to watch international women’s hockey in Canada in 2023.

The 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship pre-tournament schedule and ticket information will be announced at a later date.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

GAME STATS | LIVE BLOG

TROIS-RIVIÈRES, Que. – Canada’s National Women’s Team has forced a winner-take-all Game 7 in the Rivalry Series, earning a 5-1 win over the United States in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,636 fans at the Colisée Vidéotron on Monday night.

• Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./PWHPA) scored Canada’s final goal with 1:05 remaining, recording the 200th point of her international career. She is the fifth player to reach the milestone with Team Canada, joining Danielle Goyette, Jayna Hefford, Caroline Ouellette and Hayley Wickenheiser.
• Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont./PWHPA) led the offence with a goal and two assists.
• Sarah Nurse (Hamilton, Ont./PWHPA) opened the scoring on a power play goal just 3:06 into the first period, her 50th point with Canada’s National Women’s Team.
• Laura Stacey (Kleinburg, Ont./PWHPA) scored Canada’s second goal just 18 seconds after the Nurse marker.
• Claire Thompson (Toronto, Ont./PWHPA) rounded out the scoring.
• Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, Ont./PWHPA) chipped in with two assists.
• Ann-Renée Desbiens (Clermont, Que./PWHPA) stopped 14 shots.
• Canada outshot the U.S. 30-15.

In a pre-game ceremony, Poulin received a standing ovation as she was honoured for winning the Northern Star Award as the Canadian athlete of the year and Canadian Press Female Athlete of the Year.

Next game:

Canada vs. United States (Game 7) – Wednesday, February 22 (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)

Quotes:

“It’s hard to put it all into words. Standing on the blue line, seeing my parents and my brother; it’s a very special moment. Not only because my family was here tonight but knowing my teammates were beside me as well. I wouldn’t get these accolades without any of them. It’s special, they’re friends and family and all it was a dream tonight. Coming out with the win tonight was huge; we’re excited for Wednesday but the win in front of a full crowd … I want to say a big thank you to Trois-Rivières, who showed up for us tonight and that really means a lot.”

-- Poulin on an emotional night and win against the U.S.

“Obviously she’s a special player and person. You just love those kind of tributes when you can celebrate them in her home province, in front of her family and against the U.S. Even the way to end it, Jenner to Pou, what better way to end it and just to enjoy it. She always redirects (the attention) towards others, but for myself and the other coaches, she’s one of those players that it’s special we get a front-row seat and we get to go along for the ride.”

“I think the part I really like is merging the styles from our offence of 2021 to the Olympics combined with the physical and defensive frame of mind from [the 2022 Women’s Worlds]. I thought we played physical when we needed to, we were wide open when we needed to and defended well when we needed to. Merging those styles is great and if that becomes our new style of play, we can play any type of game at any time.”

-- Head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S.) on Poulin’s impact and playing a complete game

“We’re really excited we did the job and got the win tonight. Emotionally it was a big win because we haven’t had a win at home in awhile. We didn’t win early in the series, so to be able to do that, with this amazing crowd – it’s one of the best I’ve ever played in front of – everyone just soaked it all in at the end.”

-- Jenner on the team’s performance

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.

NOTE: This story was first published in August 2021. The beginning has been updated with current information.

A lot has happened in Sarah Nurse’s life in the last 18 months.

On the ice, she won two IIHF Women’s World Championships and an Olympic gold, setting records for points (18) and assists (13) in a single Olympic tournament. Off the ice, she is growing her presence on social media and working with her partners to produce engaging content.

"I think that I’ve evolved so much in the last few years,” Nurse says. “Although I do have the same interests, I am just looking to continue to raise the bar as high as possible and keep pushing different boundaries.”

One of her ground-breaking partnerships in the last year was with EA Sports. Last August, Nurse was revealed as a cover athlete for NHL23 along with Anaheim Ducks star, Trevor Zegras.

What’s better than one cover athlete?

Your two official #NHL23 cover athletes @tzegras11 and @nursey16 ⭐️⭐️

See the full reveal tomorrow
➡️ https://t.co/QhoZN09ldb pic.twitter.com/06XIVh92ud

— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) August 24, 2022

“I wanted to make sure that women were authentically integrated into the game. I didn’t just want to be used as a figurehead checking a box or doing something different,” she explains. “[EA Sports] really assured me that they were going to have Trevor and I on the same level as professional hockey players.

“I think all around, [the reaction to the cover] has been super positive.”

Nurse is excited to work on more meaningful collaborations as her career continues to evolve.

“I’ve had such great relationships over the last few years,” she says. “I want to continue really to elevate it and work with them in new and different ways. I’m working on my own actual personal brand, and with the help of my partners, I want to be able to do different collaborations with them. They’re just so supportive of everything that I do.”

Read the original story about how Sarah is building her brand on and off the ice below.

A typical morning for Sarah Nurse begins with what you would expect from any high-level athlete. With hockey as her No. 1 priority, she begins her day with training and then hits the ice for a morning skate.

But her schedule after that is likely different compared to other athletes. The 26-year-old will have meetings to discuss social media partnerships, participate in video calls, film different videos and plan future concept ideas.

“I think social media is such a powerful tool,” she says. “It’s something that we are all on and it’s really integrated into our daily lives.”

Creating content has always been something Nurse has enjoyed, too. In school, she was often editing videos and coming up with different content ideas.

“It really started at a young age that I really like to create things,” she says. “I just love having fun with it, being creative. I think about content in a sense of what do I like to watch. If I like to watch something, I want to recreate something that I would like to watch because if it’s boring to you, it’s going to be boring to everybody else.”

Whether it’s showing a day in her life, a fun fashion look or something she is passionate about, Nurse is taking advantage of the ability to share her personality online. Her ability to network and connect with people then introduced her to the world of brand partnerships.

“When I started realizing that there are organizations and brands and different partnerships that would align with my values and my mission and my goals, that’s something that I wanted to dive into,” she says.

mom & dad just out for groceries pic.twitter.com/pdrtL6H1gd

— Sarah Nurse (@nursey16) December 30, 2021

Although she is active on several social media platforms, her favourite right now is TikTok because it is so creative and entertaining.

“I feel like TikTok is just a place to let loose, have fun,” Nurse says. “You can literally post anything you want, you can go viral, there are so many different people that you can see and meet from around the world. I think TikTok right now is the place to be.”

The love of TikTok is also shared by many of Nurse’s teammates. The reason why Emily Clark, who was a teammate of Nurse at the University of Wisconsin, likes the app is because she enjoys sharing her humour and showcasing her personality while making videos with Canada’s National Women’s Team.

“While we’re making it, we’re having a blast,” Clark says. “I think it’s a fun way for people to kind of see the friendships on the team, too. We’re so much more than teammates, so to be able to see that family and friend bond that we all have, I think it's pretty special to share.”

The bond between Clark and Nurse is evident on their TikTok profiles. The two forwards have started a series called “On the Mini Mic with 20 and 26” to bring fans behind the scenes at the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship.

“She called me into a room one day and she was like, ‘I got this mini mic,” Nurse explains. “I was like, ‘I have one at home. Should we do something funny?’”

Both Nurse and Clark are excited to evolve the video series throughout the tournament, whether that’s including more of their teammates or even trying to get their coaches on the mini mic.

“It’s just a fun way for us to share our platforms,” Clark says. “People seem to like it, so you’ll be seeing a lot more of 20 and 26 on the mini mic.”

As the duo continues to create content together, Clark says she is learning a lot about how she can improve her own presence online. She really admires Nurse’s confidence and willingness to put herself out on social media.

“It’s a true skill and you got to put work into it,” she says. “I think Sarah is super ahead of our time in the game with that stuff. She honestly teaches me a lot about different ways you can create content, different opportunities that can come for it, how you can connect better with people, [all] by putting a little bit more time into it.”

When it comes to partnerships, Nurse says she uses a gut feeling to know if she should give the green light to working with a new brand. One of her favourite partnerships she has worked on was with Tim Hortons and Barbie.

“When the Tim Hortons and Barbie partnership was brought to me, I was so excited,” she says. “They told me they’re going to make a Barbie look like me. That was pretty cool, because that’s something that as a little girl, I could have never ever dreamed of.

“To combine two things that I love was really special. There were so many times where I’ve been put in a box as an athlete and told that I can’t like pink or I can’t like Barbies, because that’s not what athletes like. Seeing my two worlds kind of merge and collide was really special.”

Proud to inspire girls in hockey with the help of @Barbie, @nursey16 and @pou29. Pick up a Tim Hortons Hockey Barbie doll, donut or gift card at a participating restaurant near you. pic.twitter.com/Cu5hkZbq9E

— Tim Hortons (@TimHortons) November 12, 2020

A one-of-a-kind Barbie doll was also made specifically for Nurse to keep that she says, “looks exactly like me.” The partnership also aligned seamlessly with her goal of being a role model for the next generation and especially for young Black hockey players.

“When kids put these limiting beliefs on themselves, it’s because they don’t see themselves in something,” she says. “Obviously representation is so important. You have to be able to see yourself in something and so if I can be that figure for one child, that makes me the happiest. I really hope that as we go through the next few years, next few decades with hockey, there are going to be so many young Black girls who are getting involved.”

For Nurse, one of the exciting parts of social media is the increased connection she has with her fans. Years ago, athletes were limited to more traditional forms of media, like newspapers and television, to communicate and show their personalities. With social media, Nurse says it’s an opportunity to show the world who you are.

“I want to show people that yes, I play hockey. I love hockey. But I also love other things.”

From hockey to fashion to beauty, Nurse has enjoyed building relationships with fans through comments and messages. The most important thing for her is to stay authentic and genuine no matter what she posts on her journey with social media.

“With social media and with content, I just want to have fun,” she says. “If we think it’s funny, our teammates think it’s funny, it gets sent around the group chat, that’s a win.”