GAME STATS | LIVE BLOG

SEATTLE, Wash. – Canada’s National Women’s Team dropped the final game of the first leg of the Rivalry Series on Sunday, falling 4-2 to the United States in front of 14,551 fans in Seattle.

• Sarah Nurse (Hamilton, Ont./PWHPA) and Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./PWHPA) scored for Canada.
• Renata Fast (Burlington, Ont./PWHPA), Élizabeth Giguère (Québec, Que./Boston, PHF), Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont./PWHPA) and Jamie Lee Rattray (Kanata, Ont./PWHPA) recorded an assist each.
• Ann-Renée Desbiens (Clermont, Que./PWHPA) turned aside 25 of 29 shots
• The U.S. narrowly outshot Canada 29-24.

The Rivalry Series resumes next month with two games in the U.S., Dec. 15 in Henderson, Nev., and Dec. 19 in Los Angeles, Calif.

Quotes:

“A lot of times we talk about a two-minute hockey philosophy. When you’re letting them score after beating you in back-to-back games and let them score in the first two minutes of the game, that keeps their momentum rolling and I think they benefitted from that. For all three games we lost the special teams battle. If you’re not scoring on the power play, or at least preventing them from scoring, you’re not winning hockey games at this level.”

- Head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S.) on his assessment after three games

“I think for our group it’s building that chemistry with each other again. Coming off a year we just had [where] we were together all the time, now we are kind of separate then coming back together it’s continuing to build that chemistry as we move forward. These are evaluation games for us, we have a lot of new people, new combinations, new concepts and game plans we’re trying to integrate because we had so much success. It’s hard to stay on top, we want to continue to raise the bar, we don’t want to be stagnant and doing what we’re doing. By us trying new things, we’re taking risks out there. It didn’t go our way today but I’m sure it’s going to go our way soon.”

- Nurse on building chemistry and momentum moving forward through the series

“After losing three games it’s easy to feel exactly how the team is feeling – a bit disappointed. I want and expect more of myself to help us get the win, but with that being said it was nice to get an opportunity to play with Blayre [Turnbull] and Clarky (Emily Clark), and I thought early on we created chances and we tried to be hard to play against. I think it’s something I’m trying to focus on and every single second I get on the ice, no matter how many times it is, to be the hardest possible player to play against. Right now, it feels like it’s clicking a little bit better and I’m excited about that, but definitely still a lot of work to do.”

- Laura Stacey (Kleinburg, Ont./PWHPA) on her style of play and contributing to team success

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 (NOVEMBER 20)

TV: TSN (tape delay at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT) | Stream: TSN Direct

After a pair of games on B.C. ice, Canada’s National Women’s Team has moved south of the border, set to wrap up the first leg of the Rivalry Series with a matchup against the United States on Sunday at Climate Pledge Arena.

LAST GAME

Another game, another nailbiter between Canada and the U.S. on Thursday night in Kamloops. After going goalless through the first 38+ minutes – thanks in large part to the standout play of Canadian goaltender Kristen Campbell – the teams combined for two in the final 1:46 of the second period, including a penalty-shot conversion from Marie-Philip Poulin. Both sides had their chances in the third, including point-blank opportunities for Jamie Lee Rattray and Ella Shelton, but a late U.S. goal left Canada with a 2-1 loss. Campbell was terrific, finishing with 32 saves in just her third international appearance.

WHAT TO WATCH

It may sound like a broken record, but how good has Poulin been? The captain has accounted for two of the three Canadian goals in the series – getting her to 95 in her decorated career (more on that below) – and has been the best player in red through two games. The veteran always brings her best against the Americans; she has 32 goals and 56 points in 77 games, and has recorded at least one point in 11 of 15 games since the game resumed after the 18-month layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Americans have relied heavily on their penalty kill through two games, keeping a talented Canadian power play without a goal in 11 opportunities. Special teams, in fact, have not been all that special on either side – the U.S. is just 1-for-7 with the player advantage, and that goal came late in Game 1 with the goaltender pulled for an extra attacker.

CHASING HISTORY

As mentioned above, Poulin’s goal in Kamloops gave her 95 in her National Women’s Team career. That puts the pride of Beauceville, Que., just a little closer to becoming the fourth to score 100 with Team Canada (joining Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford and Danielle Goyette). She also sits with 197 points, three away from becoming the fifth to record 200, alongside Wickenheiser, Hefford, Goyette and Caroline Ouellette.

A LOOK BACK

While Canada has the all-time edge with 95 wins in 169 games, this rivalry is about as even as they come. Need proof? In the last 18 meetings between the rivals, dating back to February 2020, seven of those games have needed overtime (Canada has won four, with Poulin getting the game-winning goal in three of them) and four others have been one-goal finishes.

This is just the second meeting to played in Washington State; on Oct. 16, 2009, in the lead up to the 2010 Olympics, Ouellette (an assistant with this Canadian team) scored twice and Shannon Szabados made 32 saves to help Canada to a 5-2 win in Spokane.

All-time record: Canada leads 95-73-1 (20-18 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 462
United States goals: 410

GAME STATS | LIVE BLOG

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Canada’s National Women’s Team dropped Game 2 of the Rivalry Series on Thursday night in Kamloops, falling 2-1 to the United States.

• Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./PWHPA) scored on a penalty shot with 1:45 left in the second period after Laura Stacey (Kleinburg, Ont./PWHPA) was hooked on a breakaway.
• Kristen Campbell (Brandon, Man.) made her first international start against the U.S., finishing with 32 saves.
• Claire Thompson (Toronto, Ont./PWHPA) led all skaters with 24:15 of ice time.
• Canada was 0-for-4 on the power play and a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
• The U.S. outshot Canada 34-20.

Next Game:

Canada vs. United States – Sunday, Nov. 20 (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)

Quotes:

“It’s getting back to basics and making sure we’re focusing on details and habits and every aspect of the game. Winning those battles are so key; we know the game is going to be tight against the Americans and it could come down to one battle won or one battle lost.”

- Assistant coach Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, N.S.) on closing out the series with a win

“I felt really good out there and it’s exciting getting out there against the Americans. It’s something I’ve been waiting for the opportunity, so to play behind this group it’s always an honour and it was just exciting being out there tonight. We had our moments [throughout the game], and going into the next game we want to be more crisp and executing more with a purpose. I know this group will bounce back and we’ll take what happened here tonight and look to come out on top next game.”

- Campbell on her 32-save performance

“Our compete level was the difference; we just weren’t winning our individual battles and they took advantage of us being soft on our sticks, which allowed them to generate more. We have to compete harder and that’s something we can control, which is great, and we realize as a team so we need to be better in that area.

- Renata Fast (Burlington, Ont./PWHPA) on needing to play a full 60 minutes

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.

For the first time since the 2016 IIHF Women’s World Championship, Canada’s National Women’s Team returns to Kamloops this week for a Rivalry Series matchup against the United States. Not only is the game showcase the best of women’s hockey on the iceon the ice, but it also gives the City of Kamloops an opportunity to show how women’s hockey has grown in the community.

Six years after the United States edged Canada 1-0 in overtime in the gold medal game, Norm Daley, co-chair of the 2016 women’s worlds, is feeling the same level of excitement as the world’s best come to the Interior.

“We’re seeing a lot of responses from the young ladies in hockey who are interested in the Rivalry Series,” says Daley, who is also president of the Western Hockey League’s Kamloops Blazers. “These are the stars that they look up to and it’s really exciting to see that they have their role models from Team Canada coming into their community.”

The Rivalry Series game will be the third international hockey event in Kamloops in the last eight years; in addition to the women’s worlds, the city was host of the 2014 4 Nations Cup, when Canada claimed its 14th gold at the tournament that also included the United States, Sweden and Finland.

At every opportunity the Kamloops hockey community has not failed to show its on-going support for women’s hockey. With a close-to-capacity crowd expected for the Rivalry Series, to be played at the Sandman Centre, home of the Blazers, Daley says the interest in the game is clear.

“The community is really talking about how important the games are for girls and women to see what can be accomplished,” he says. “Once the tickets were released, they were snapped up immediately and shows that women’s hockey is very much alive.”

The legacy of the Rivalry Series, 4 Nations Cup and IIHF Women’s World Championship goes beyond the on-ice product itself. Over the years, the events have brought excitement and drawn the attention of young girls to hockey, boosting registration in the city.

Nathan Bosa, board chair for the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association, recalls the 2016 women’s worlds, and although it was before his time with the KMHA, he remembers how impactful it was for young players and fans, like his daughter, to experience. Over the years, he says the growth and opportunity for women’s hockey has continued to open doors for players to continue their playing careers.

“Over the last couple of years, the game has grown and we’ve revamped things to provide more resources to our leagues,” says Bosa. “Our governing association, [the Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association], has put together a clear program to keep the girls playing at a high level and give them a path forward.

“By running regional teams, we’ve been able to open the borders to have female players come from Clearwater or Logan Lake and broaden our catchment for teams. The morale boost these events gives to the home associations is great, because the momentum of the event will get people thinking about new ideas to continue growing.”

Like Daley, Bosa has felt a sense of excitement during leading up to the Rivalry Series. With the opportunity for the community to see Team Canada, the reigning Olympic and world champions, it’s a huge opportunity to watch the best in the world.

On Thursday, Bosa and his daughter will be in the Sandman Centre for the game, but this time, it will be his daughter taking him to see what he proudly says is “her thing, and she’s very excited to take me with her.”

“It inspires everybody,” Bosa says. “To go and see these players on the ice, they play with such heart and grit, the younger girls watch this and really gives them a boost in confidence and shows what’s possible for them.”

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 17)

TV: TSN | Stream: TSN Direct

The Rivalry Series rolls on, with Canada’s National Women’s Team and the United States visiting the Sandman Centre in Kamloops for the second of three games this week, the last Canadian stop on this first leg of the series.

LAST GAME

The series opened Tuesday night in Kelowna with, as expected, a tight game between the familiar foes. Claire Thompson and Marie-Philip Poulin erased a two-goal deficit by scoring 62 seconds apart in the second period and Emily Clark gave Canada its first lead early in the third, but the U.S. tied it late and won it in a shootout, taking a 4-3 decision . The Canadians’ best chance to win came in overtime when Poulin was awarded a penalty shot, but American goaltender Nicole Hensley got her toe on the attempt.

WHAT TO WATCH

Canada had a power outage on the power play, going goalless in seven opportunities at five-on-four. That includes 51 seconds of player-advantage time to begin overtime. With some new personnel and a two-and-a-half-month layoff, there’s bound to be some rust, but special teams will play an important role in the series, so the Canadians will need to find their groove.

Hilary Knight did Hilary Knight things in the series opener, giving the U.S. a 2-0 lead early in the second period and opening the scoring in the shootout. The Idaho native, who became the all-time leading scorer at the IIHF Women’s World Championship last summer, surpassing the great Hayley Wickenheiser, upped her all-time Team USA totals to 139 goals and 239 points in 205 international games.

WELCOME (BACK) TO KAMLOOPS

Tonight’s game marks the return of women’s hockey to Kamloops for the first time since the Interior city hosted the 2016 IIHF Women’s World Championship. That tournament was capped by a thriller in the gold medal game – Alex Carpenter beat Emerance Maschmeyer at 12:30 of overtime to give the U.S. a 1-0 win.

Of the 23 players on the Canadian roster for that women’s worlds, seven will return for the Rivalry Series (Maschmeyer, Poulin, Emily Clark, Brianne Jenner, Jocelyne Larocque, Jamie Lee Rattray and Blayre Turnbull). Rebecca Johnston led Canada in scoring, recording seven points in five games, while Maschmeyer was named Top Goaltender after posting a 1.25 goals-against average and .956 save percentage in three starts.

CHASING HISTORY

Poulin brought Canada even with her second-period goal in Kelowna, giving her 94 goals and 196 points in her National Women’s Team career. That puts the pride of Beauceville, Que., just a little closer to becoming the fourth to score 100 goals with Team Canada (joining Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford and Danielle Goyette) and the fifth to record 200 points, alongside Wickenheiser, Hefford, Goyette and Caroline Ouellette.

A LOOK BACK

While Canada has the all-time edge with 95 wins in 168 games, this rivalry is about as even as they come. Need proof? In the last 17 meetings between the rivals, dating back to February 2020, seven of those games have needed overtime (Canada has won four, with Poulin getting the game-winning goal in three of them) and three others have been one-goal finishes.

All-time record: Canada leads 95-72-1 (20-18 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 461
United States goals: 408

This week, Élizabeth Giguère’s dream will come true.

For the very first time, the Quebec City product will play with Canada’s National Women’s Team when it faces the United States in the first three games of the Rivalry Series.

Giguère, 25, has had to wait a few years before getting her first opportunity.

“Maybe I wasn’t ready at first, about five years ago,” she says. “I always told myself that if I kept improving and working on myself, I could believe in my dream. I wasn't going to give up. Even though I am 25, I’m still in my best years. I'm glad to have my chance.”

Her cousins got her hooked on hockey, but Giguère had to work hard to convince her parents it was a real passion.

"I really wanted to try [minor hockey]; it looked fun," she says. "I started saving money, and my mother asked me why. I told her it was to play hockey. I started playing hockey the next year and I liked it right away, even though I wasn't really good at it."

Giguère played her first few seasons with boys’ teams before joining the girls at the U15 and U18 levels with the Citadelles de Québec.

After three seasons with Cégep de Limoilou, during which she helped the Titans to a league championship, won MVP and rookie of the year honours and led the team in scoring twice, she had to decide which university to attend in the United States to continue her academic and athletic pursuits.

Clarkson University quickly became the preferred option for the entire family.

"It was difficult at first because I didn't want to leave Quebec," says Giguère, who has previously represented Canada at the 2015 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship and 2017 Nations Cup. "I couldn’t speak English. I didn't want to go far from home. My parents encouraged me to go there to learn English. Since it was only a five-hour drive, I went to visit Clarkson, and I really liked it. It's a small school, and the staff reassured me that they would help me. Hockey is also very popular there."

In the 2017-18 season, her freshman year, Clarkson made it to the championship game at the NCAA Frozen Four. Giguère was the hero, scoring the winning goal in overtime.

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That was just the start. Giguère became one of the best players in the college game; she was twice named a First Team All-American, was ECAC Rookie the Year and ECAC Player, led the Golden Knights in scoring in three consecutive seasons, led the NCAA in scoring and, in 2019-20, received the Patty Kazmaier Award as the best player in NCAA women’s hockey.

After four seasons at Clarkson, including her last as team captain, Giguère sat atop the school's all-time scoring list with 233 points in 137 games (99 goals and 134 assists).

Eligibility rules introduced by the NCAA during the COVID-19 pandemic meant Giguère was able to play a fifth season and she made the move to the University of Minnesota Duluth, earning Second Team All-American honours and helping the Bulldogs reach the Frozen Four final.

The extra year pushed her career total to 295 points, which ranks sixth in NCAA women’s hockey history.

"My best memory is probably winning the Frozen Four," Giguère says. "That's pretty hard to beat. The last few years I was captain were pretty tough for everyone because we were in the middle of a pandemic, but I wouldn't change anything. I will also remember my year at UMD for the rest of my life. It was one of the best years. We made it to the national championship final, and it would have been great to win another title."

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Those years spent south of the border have also shaped the person Giguère has become.

Whether it is as a hockey player or simply as a person, she doesn’t regret her decision to go.

"On a scale of one to 10, I was at one when I started [at Clarkson] and now I'm at 10," says Giguère, who is beginning her pro career this season with the Boston Pride of the Premier Hockey Federation. "It's amazing. I didn't speak any word of English, I was shy and very reserved. I've really grown as a person. I'm more mature, and now bilingual. As a hockey player, I learned a lot from my coaches at Clarkson. Then I got to experience a different perspective with Minnesota Duluth, which allowed me to learn more."

Get to know Pride forward Élizabeth Giguère (@Eligiguere11) after her electric start to her PHF career! pic.twitter.com/k65e6dommU

— Boston Pride (@TheBostonPride) November 11, 2022

Alongside her experience inBoston, the next chapter in Giguère's career will be written in Western Canada.

While this will be her first appearance with Canada’s National Women’s Team, head coach Troy Ryan has been following her performance for some time.

“I remember she was in Halifax at one of our pre-worlds camps [in 2019]. We thought this August at the summer camp that we had, we thought she looked really good; we thought that she looked confident and composed. That just got us even more curious. We’ve always been curious, we’ve always scouted her, we’ve always watched her but her performance at this August camp, we really liked what we saw.”

And what could be better than facing the United States in her Team Canada debut?

“The good thing about the Rivalry Series is that right after worlds, you have an opportunity to repopulate the foundation of your program, so we thought it would be a great opportunity for her to have multiple games against the United States,” Ryan says. “She’s obviously a very skilled hockey player that loves to create offence. We’ll try to throw as much information at her as we can right now but let her instincts take over in the play.”

After only a few days spent with the team, Giguère is already well aware of the importance of these three games, both collectively and individually.

“It's very important to beat the Americans," she says. “In my case, it will be my first official game against the United States. You can see on TV how intense it can get, [and] I can't wait to experience that. I'll have to watch a lot to learn the game systems, how the team works, and all that. I'm not stressed about it, I like learning. I've already learned a lot of stuff after just a few practices. I'm just going to play hockey and hope everything goes well."

GAME STATS | LIVE BLOG

KELOWNA, B.C. – Canada’s National Women’s Team dropped the first game of the Rivalry Series on Tuesday night, with a 4-3 shootout loss to the United States in front of a sold-out crowd at Prospera Place.

• Emily Clark (Saskatoon, Sask./PWHPA) gave Canada the lead in the third period before the U.S. scored on the power play to send the game to overtime. Canada was scoreless in the shootout.
• Claire Thompson (Toronto, Ont./PWHPA) and Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./PWHPA) erased a two-goal deficit, scoring 62 seconds apart in the second period.
• Élizabeth Giguère (Quebec, Que./Boston, PHF) recorded an assist in her debut with Canada’s National Women’s Team.
• Renata Fast (Burlington, Ont./PWHPA), Loren Gabel (Kitchener, Ont./Boston, PHF), Emma Maltais (Burlington, Ont./PWHPA), Sarah Nurse (Hamilton, Ont./PWHPA) and Blayre Turnbull (Stellarton, N.S./PWHPA) chipped in an assist each.
• Emerance Maschmeyer (Bruderheim, Alta./PWHPA) turned aside 20 of the 23 shots she faced.

· Canada outshot the U.S. 36-23.

Next Game:

Canada vs. United States – Thursday, Nov. 17 (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT)

Quotes:

“ I think we have to look at the positives; to come back after being down two goals, it’s not an easy thing to do against the Americans. I think about someone like Élizabeth Giguère playing her first game on the senior team and our team getting back together for the first time, it’s a new team, different than worlds. Overall, we had a ton of opportunities to end the game in the third period, overtime and the shootout, we just have to get back to the details that we can do better, starting with our special teams. We were good on the penalty kill but we have to produce on the power play, so getting more pressure on the goaltender, more shots on net with screens, and we will see how we can get better. We did a lot of great things to get ourselves on the power play with hard plays, keeping our feet moving and using our speed.”

- Assistant coach Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, Que.) on needing to focus on little details

“ I think the start of the game was the difference, they were ahead 2-0 and obviously we came back, but we have to have a better start as a group and we showed up at the end. We still have to be proud of coming back in the game, it was huge for us to come back against this team but every time you play them you want to win, so the next game is going to be huge for us.”

- Poulin on needing better starts against the Americans

“It was a four-on-four, Maltais did an amazing job driving the puck. She cycled back to me and I saw an opportunity to get to the middle and I just went for it.”

“The crowd was amazing you could really feel the energy and it’s so fun to be back on home soil playing in front of our fans again; it was amazing.”

- Thompson on her goal and the fan support in Kelowna

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 15)

TV: TSN | Stream: TSN Direct

Rivalry renewed! Canada’s National Women’s Team drops the puck on the 2022-23 edition of the Rivalry Series on home ice, welcoming the United States to Prospera Place on Tuesday night.

LAST MEETING

Canada clinched its 12th world title in the gold medal game at the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship in early September, getting a pair of goals from Brianne Jenner just 1:23 apart in the second period to earn a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Americans in Herning, Denmark. The game was a defensive struggle, with the teams combining for just 40 shots on goal (21-19 in favour of the U.S.). Ann-Renée Desbiens made 20 saves to record the win.

WHAT TO WATCH

After a decorated college career, Élizabeth Giguère is set to make her Team Canada debut. The Quebec City native is one of the top scorers in NCAA history, posting 295 points (121-174—295) in 177 games with Clarkson University and the University of Minnesota Duluth. Giguère was a three-time All-American, won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the best player in women’s college hockey and helped Clarkson to a national title as a freshman. She has two previous international experiences; she won silver at the 2015 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, and silver with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team at the 2017 Nations Cup.

While Giguère will be the lone debutant for Canada, the U.S. will ice a rookie-laden roster – six players (Riley Brengman, Becca Gilmore, Kelsey King, Maureen Murphy, Gabby Rosenthal and Haley Winn) will all make their national team debuts in Kelowna.

BACK TO B.C.

After Ontario, no Canadian province has hosted more editions of the Canada-U.S. rivalry than British Columbia, which will welcome its 15th such game on Tuesday. Kelowna becomes the fifth B.C. community to host a game, joining Kamloops (where the series will stop on Thursday), Richmond, Vancouver, Victoria.

Canada has an 8-6 edge over the U.S. in the first 14, with each holding a big-game victory – Canada blanked the Americans 2-0 in the gold medal game at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, and the U.S. returned the favour with a 1-0 overtime win in the final at the 2016 women’s worlds in Kamloops.

CHASING HISTORY

After reaching 100 career assists during the women’s worlds, Marie-Philip Poulin has two more milestones in sight. Captain Canada is just seven goals away from becoming the fourth to score 100 with Team Canada (joining Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford and Danielle Goyette) and needs just five points for 200 (which would put her alongside Wickenheiser, Hefford, Goyette and Caroline Ouellette).

A LOOK BACK

While Canada has the all-time edge with 95 wins in 167 games, this rivalry is about as even as they come. Need proof? In the last 16 meetings between the rivals, dating back to February 2020, six of those games have needed overtime (Canada has won four, with Poulin getting the game-winning goal in three of them) and three others have been one-goal finishes.

Since the Rivalry Series debuted in February 2018, the 14 games have been split right down the middle with seven wins apiece, although the Americans have won five of the seven on Canadian ice.

All-time record: Canada leads 95-71-1 (20-17 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 458
United States goals: 404

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has named 23 of the nation’s top players to Canada’s National Women’s Team for the first three games of the Rivalry Series – Nov. 15-20 in Kelowna and Kamloops, B.C., and Seattle, Wash.

This marks the fourth year the cross-border rivals will face off, with seven games scheduled for the 2022-23 season between November and February, including two additional matchups being hosted in Canada in early 2023. Host locations will be announced in the coming months. In 14 games played since the inception of the Rivalry Series during the 2018-19 season, each nation has won seven games.

Canada’s roster was selected by head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S.), Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.) , director of hockey operations, with input from Cherie Piper (Scarborough, Ont.), senior manager of player development and scouting.

The roster features 16 players who won gold medals at the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship and 2022 Olympic Winter Games (Ambrose, Campbell, Clark, Desbiens, Fast, Jenner, Larocque, Maltais, Maschmeyer, Nurse, Poulin, Rattray, Shelton, Stacey, Turnbull, Zandee-Hart).

“Following two world championships and the Olympics over the last year, we could not be more excited to showcase the best players in the world in front of our fans on Canadian ice,” said Kingsbury. “These games bring out the best in both teams and we are excited to resume the Rivalry Series. This also gives our coaches and staff another opportunity to assess the depth of our roster and how we match up against our fiercest rival, which is all part of evaluations looking ahead to the next women’s worlds.”

The series opens in Kelowna at Prospera Place on Nov. 15 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, followed by a stop at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops on Nov. 17 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The series shifts south of the border to Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the games in Kelowna and Kamloops are available for only $35, plus applicable fees, at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

Grassroots hockey initiatives will take place throughout the week to provide local communities with opportunities to engage with Canada’s National Women’s Team. More information will be provided closer to the event.

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

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has announced the staff that will lead Canada’s National Women’s Team through the 2022-23 season.

Head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S.), who recently signed a four-year extension with the program will be joined by assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, N.S.), Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, Que./Concordia University, RSEQ), and Doug Derraugh (Arnprior, Ont./Cornell University, ECAC), as well as goaltending coach Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, Alta.)

The coaching staff was selected by Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.), director of hockey operations, in consultation with Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.) senior vice-president of hockey operations.

“We are very excited to announce our National Women’s Team Staff for the upcoming season,” said Kingsbury. “Coming off a tremendously successful year, winning the last three major events, we hope to continue to build on the work we have done with a consistent and experienced staff. With Troy as our head coach, we are eager to get started on our journey through this new quad.”

Ryan most recently led Canada to gold medals at the 2021 and 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championships and 2022 Olympic Winter Games as head coach. He also earned a silver medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, silver at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship and bronze at the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship, all as an assistant coach.

Cheverie won gold medals as an assistant coach at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and 2021 and 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championships. She won a gold medal in 2019 as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team. She also holds the distinction as the first woman to serve as a coach with one of Canada's national men's teams at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship and was also the first woman hired as a full-time assistant coach in U SPORTS with the Ryerson University men's hockey team for five seasons (2016-21).

Ouellette is entering her second season as associate head coach of the women’s hockey team at Concordia University after serving as interim head coach in 2020-21. Internationally, as a coach, she won a gold medal as an assistant coach at the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship, a bronze medal as an assistant at the 2019 women’s worlds and a silver medal with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2009 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. As a player, she won four Olympic gold medals and six world titles with Canada’s National Women’s Team during a 19-year international career.

Derraugh is in his 17th season as the head coach of Cornell University’s women’s hockey team. He is the winningest coach in the history of the program, winning ACHA Coach of the Year three times and ECAC Coach of the Year five times. He was also named USCHO Coach of the Year in 2019-20. This is his fifth time representing Canada on the world stage, winning a gold medal as an assistant coach at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, and both the 2012 and 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship.

Kirkwood has served as goaltending consultant for Canada’s National Women’s Team since 2015, earning gold medals at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, and 2021 and 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championships. He also won a gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team at the 2015 Nations Cup.

Hockey Canada also announced the support staff that will work with Canada’s National Women’s Team throughout the 2022-23 season:

• Video coach James Emery (Calgary, Alta.)
• Strength and conditioning coach Vicki Bendus (Wasaga Beach, Ont./Brock University, OUA)
• Equipment managers Andrew Davis (Hudson Heights, Que./ Concordia University, RSEQ) and Serge LeBlanc (Grande-Digue, N.B./Université de Moncton, AUS)
• Therapists Christine Atkins (Fort Macleod, Alta.) and Diane Ouimet (Orleans, Ont./St. Francis Xavier University, AUS)
• Massage therapist Meagan Cowell (London, Ont.)
• Team physician Dr. Tina Atkinson (Shelburne, N.S./Halifax, QMJHL)
• Hockey operations manager Dylan Rockwell (Calgary, Alta.)
• Media relations manager Spencer Sharkey (Hamilton, Ont.)

 Canada’s National Women’s Team continues the 2022-23 season with the Rivalry Series against the United States, beginning Nov. 15 in Kelowna, B.C. Tickets are on sale now, starting as low as $35.

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.