

Message from the Hon. Hugh L. Fraser, Chair of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors
Shortly before our new Hockey Canada Board of Directors was elected in December 2022, Hockey Canada underwent an independent governance review that was led by the Hon. Thomas Cromwell, C.C.
Since receiving the final report from Mr. Cromwell, Hockey Canada and its Members have discussed and reviewed the findings with a goal of bringing the organization’s governance structure into alignment with the recommendations of the report.
In addition to a series of proposals which were approved by the Members late last year, I am pleased to share that on Sunday, a significant number of proposed By-Law changes were approved unanimously by our Members, at a Special Members’ Meeting held in Québec City, Que.
It was a monumental moment for our organization, and I want to provide a summary of some of the notable changes to our By-Laws, as well as updates on the Spring Congress, the ongoing search for Hockey Canada’s next president and chief executive officer, the 2023 IIHF Annual Congress and the 2023 World Para Hockey Championship.
Critical Governance Changes
In addition to some of the approved By-Law changes related to the Board of Directors listed below, Members unanimously approved two motions to amend Hockey Canada’s Articles to state that the maximum number of Directors of Hockey Canada shall be 13, and fixing the number of elected Directors at nine (9).
- Hockey Canada will move to a staggered term Board structure. As a result, for the 2023 election of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors, the Members will elect nine Directors as follows:
- The Chair and the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall serve a three-year term;
- The three candidates receiving the next highest number of votes shall serve a two-year term;
- The three candidates receiving the next highest number of votes shall serve a one-year term.
- In elections occurring after 2023, elected Directors will serve three-year terms, rather than the previous two-year terms.
- A Director cannot run for election if doing so would cause them to exceed nine consecutive years of service, if elected.
- The Chair of the Board will be appointed by the elected Directors rather than being elected by Hockey Canada’s Members.
- The term limit for the Chair of the Board of Directors is now two (2) three (3)-year terms.
As well, to align with the recommendation of Mr. Cromwell and the requirements of the Canada not-for-profit Corporations Act, financial statements must now be approved by the Hockey Canada Board of Directors, and not the Members.
In total, all of the By-Law changes were unanimously approved concerning the Hockey Canada Board of Directors, Financial Statements and Committees.
This marks significant progress in our efforts to implement Mr. Cromwell’s recommendations, but we recognize that there is still more work to do and we continue to explore potential amendments to Member voting rights and options to create a greater voice for athletes within the Hockey Canada structure, through a Task Team and the Governance Committee, respectively.
Spring Congress
The 2023 Hockey Canada Spring Congress took place this weekend in Québec City, thanks to our gracious hosts at Hockey Quebec. On behalf of Hockey Canada, I’d also like to thank outgoing Member Presidents Arnie Farrell of Hockey Nova Scotia and Jason Perrier of Hockey Northwestern Ontario, who have completed their respective terms, for their tremendous contributions to the sport and our organization.
While the Spring Congress is an important milestone on the calendar for Hockey Canada and our Members each year, the significance of this year’s event was enhanced by two days of meetings that focused on women’s and girls’ hockey.
Each of our Members was represented by delegates who lead women’s and girls’ programming within their respective Member, and participated in workshops and sessions led by Canadian Women & Sport and Hockey Canada staff.
I’d like to thank our Members for continuing to prioritize the growth of women’s and girls’ hockey, and for contributing to the meaningful discussions that took place throughout the two days.
This weekend was the first congress that our Board of Directors has attended since being elected nearly six months ago, and we are already looking forward to the Summer Congress in September.
Leadership Renewal
The search committee that was established to recruit Hockey Canada’s next president and chief executive officer continues to interview prospective candidates for the position.
This role will be critical to the future of Hockey Canada and hockey in Canada, and the committee is optimistic that it will be able to recommend a final candidate to the Board of Directors in the coming weeks.
2023 IIHF Annual Congress
Last month, Pat McLaughlin and I attended the 2023 IIHF Annual Congress in Tampere, Fin., where we met with colleagues from the other IIHF Member National Associations ahead of Canada’s exciting gold medal victory at the 2023 IIHF World Championship.
Congratulations to Canada’s National Men’s Team on representing our country with tremendous pride throughout the tournament, and for becoming world champions after 10 hard-fought games.
One of the most impactful meetings that we had in Finland was with the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine, where we reiterated Hockey Canada’s commitment to supporting the organization and its athletes as best that we can. More information will be shared soon about tangible steps that we are taking to collaborate with the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine and support the future of hockey in the country.
2023 World Para Hockey Championship
Congratulations to all of you who played a role in Canada hosting the World Para Hockey Championship for the first time, and to Canada’s National Para Hockey Team on winning the silver medal in Moose Jaw, Sask.
We were inspired to watch the competing federations throughout the tournament, and to see so many community members cheer on the athletes during the event.
Hosting an international event of any kind takes a significant amount of preparation on and off the ice, and to do so in a few months is an incredible accomplishment in itself.
End of the 2022-23 Season
As the 2022-23 hockey season comes to an end, we recognize that our organization has much more work ahead of us, however I am pleased at the progress that we have made in collaboration with our Members, and we will continue to work tirelessly to provide all participants with a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment on and off the ice.
Thank you to everyone from coast to coast to coast who plays a role in delivering the sport to Canadians, and on behalf of Hockey Canada, we hope you and your families have a great summer.

Sidney Crosby to captain Team Canada at 4 Nations Face-Off
Connor McDavid, Cale Makar to serve as alternate captains
CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada, in partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL) and National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), has announced that Sidney Crosby (Cole Harbour, NS/Pittsburgh, NHL) will wear the ‘C’ for Team Canada at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, set for Feb. 12-20 in Montréal, Québec, and Boston, Massachusetts.
Connor McDavid (Newmarket, ON/Edmonton, NHL) and Cale Makar (Calgary, AB/Colorado, NHL) will join Crosby as alternate captains.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to again represent Canada on the international stage, and it is an honour to be named captain for the 4 Nations Face-Off on a team with so many great leaders,” Crosby said. “I look forward to serving as captain alongside Connor and Cale who are amazing leaders in their own right. All of us are excited to wear the Team Canada jersey and to kick off the 4 Nations Face-Off in front of Canadian fans.”
“Sidney, Connor and Cale all possess exceptional leadership qualities, a determination to be the best and a burning desire to win,” said head coach Jon Cooper (Prince George, BC/Tampa Bay, NHL). “We are fortunate to have incredible leadership on our team. These players will lead Canada with pride as we set out to accomplish our goal of winning the 4 Nations Face-Off.”
Canada will open the 4 Nations Face-Off against Sweden on Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT at the Bell Centre in Montréal. It will also take on the United States on Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT in Montréal and Finland on Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT at TD Garden in Boston before the tournament concludes with the championship game on Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT in Boston.
For more information on the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, please visit the official tournament page.
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

National Women’s Team roster unveiled for Canadian leg of Rivalry Series
Team Canada to face United States in Halifax and Summerside for series finale
CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the 25 players who have been named to Canada’s National Women’s Team for the Canadian leg of the 2024-25 Rivalry Series, Feb. 6 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and concluding Feb. 8 in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.
Three goaltenders, eight defence and 14 forwards were selected by general manager Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC/Toronto, PWHL), head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, NS/Toronto, PWHL) and Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON), senior manager of player development and scouting. Assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, NS/Montréal, PWHL), Caroline Ouellette (Montréal, QC/Concordia University, RSEQ) and Britni Smith (Port Perry, ON/Syracuse University, CHA), along with goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, AB/Toronto, PWHL), also provided input.
“We are excited about the group of players we have assembled for these final two games against the Americans, which gives us another chance to look at the depth of our program while we look ahead to the IIHF Women’s World Championship in April,” said Kingsbury. “We are thrilled to immerse ourselves within two passionate hockey communities, meet with fans and showcase women’s hockey to everyone in Halifax and Summerside.”
The roster features 21 players who suited up for the first three games in the United States in November (Ambrose, Bell, Clark, Desbiens, Fast, Fillier, Gosling, Jenner, Larocque, Maltais, Maschmeyer, Nurse, O’Neill, Poulin, Rattray, Serdachny, Shelton, Stacey, Thompson, Turnbull, Watts).
Canada leads the United States 2-1 in this year’s Rivalry Series, posting back-to-back victories (5-4 and 4-1 wins) after dropping the opening game during the U.S. leg. Since the start of the Rivalry Series during the 2018-19 season, Canada holds a 17-14 advantage over the Americans.
TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast both games; please check local listings for details. Media wishing to attend the games in Halifax and Summerside must fill out an online accreditation form.
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

IIHF renames World Juniors MVP in honour of Murray Costello
Most Valuable Player at IIHF World Junior Championship to receive Murray Costello Award
OTTAWA, Ontario – The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has announced that beginning this year, the Most Valuable Player of the IIHF World Junior Championship will receive the Murray Costello Award.
Costello, who led the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and Hockey Canada as president for two decades, passed away in July 2024 at the age of 90.
“As an IIHF Lifetime Member and an inductee of the IIHF Hall of Fame, Murray had such a significant impact on hockey in Canada and around the world throughout his career,” said Luc Tardif, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation. “We thank his family for their support of this recognition and look forward to them handing out the Murray Costello Award to the tournament MVP tonight in Ottawa, where Murray lived for most of his life.”
As president of the CAHA, Costello created the Program of Excellence and was instrumental in organizing the first IIHF World Women’s Championship in 1990. Four years later, he led the merger of the CAHA and Hockey Canada.
Internationally, Costello was a member of the IIHF Council from 1998 to 2012, including as vice-president for five years. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2005.
“We are grateful to the IIHF for renaming the World Juniors MVP award in Murray’s honour and extending the connection between him and this tournament that meant so much to him,” said Katherine Henderson, president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. “Hockey continues to benefit from Murray’s tremendous contributions to the game, and we cannot think of a more deserving tribute to one of our sport’s greatest leaders.”
To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Hockey Canada announces National Team Athlete Committee
Eight athletes elected across Canada’s men’s, women’s and para hockey teams
OTTAWA, Ontario – Hockey Canada has announced the eight current and former athletes who have been elected by their peers to form its new National Team Athlete Committee.
The committee, which will represent the voice of Hockey Canada’s high-performance athletes across men’s, women’s and para hockey, will meet quarterly at a minimum and be empowered to make recommendations to Hockey Canada on issues that impact their fellow national team athletes.
Billy Bridges, Michael Mastrodomenico, Tyler McGregor, Bailey Mitchell (Bram), Markus Phillips, Alyssa Regalado, Kyle Turris and Kendra Woodland will each serve multi-year terms.
“Hearing from our athletes directly is critical to ensure that we are delivering the best possible experiences for our national teams, and we cannot wait to learn from the eight representatives on this new committee throughout their terms,” said Jonathan Goldbloom, chair of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors. “Gillian Apps and Amanda Fowler from our board invested a lot of time to help launch this initiative, and we are appreciative of their contributions that have led us to today’s announcement.”
To be eligible to run for election, athletes had to have competed for Canada at a world championship sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) or World Para Ice Hockey (WPIH) within the last eight years.
“The athlete voice is so important to all national sport organizations, and the creation of this committee is an exciting step to further strengthen the connection between Hockey Canada and our national teams,” said Katherine Henderson, president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. “We are grateful that Gillian, Amanda and their colleagues on the board have been so supportive of this committee, which will benefit all of our national team athletes.”
The election, which was overseen by AthletesCAN and scrutineered by a third-party organization, took place in fall 2024 and included votes from athletes who represented Canada in the last five years at an IIHF or WPIH championship.
To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Hockey Canada to host five IIHF women's championships through 2030
New hosting agreement begins in 2026; includes two Women’s Worlds and three U18 Women’s Worlds
OTTAWA, Ontario – Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) have announced that five IIHF women’s championships will be played in Canada between 2026 and 2030 as part of a historic agreement between the two federations.
It will be the first time in women’s hockey history that a country hosts five championships in as many years.
Canada will welcome the best women’s hockey players in the world at the 2027 and 2030 IIHF Women’s World Championships, as well as the top under-18 players at the 2026, 2028 and 2030 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championships.
“Hosting IIHF championships is a tremendous privilege we do not take for granted, and we are grateful for their support of this landmark agreement,” said Katherine Henderson, president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. “Investing in the growth and development of women’s and girls’ hockey is a top priority for Hockey Canada, and we are thrilled that our athletes, coaches and staff will participate in an unprecedented number of world championships on home ice in the coming years.
“We look forward to welcoming the competing federations to Canada and elevating the tournament experience, including for our fans and alumnae as their support and contributions have made hosting this many marquee women’s hockey championships possible.”
The bid process for the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship is now open, with a tournament location expected to be announced in the spring.
Tomorrow, Canada will open the 2025 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship against Slovakia at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT, one of 14 tournament games broadcast by TSN and RDS.
Canada’s National Women’s Team will finish the 2024-25 Rivalry Series with games in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Summerside, P.E.I., in February, before the defending world champions travel to Czechia for the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship in April.
All of Canada’s National Women’s Team’s games this season are broadcast on TSN and RDS.
To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Partners recognized for support of 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship
27 partners contributing to World Juniors in Ottawa, including 10 tournament partners
OTTAWA, Ontario – With the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship beginning today, Hockey Canada is proud to recognize and thank the corporate partners who are supporting the tournament in Ottawa.
“The 2025 World Juniors would not be possible without the tremendous support we’ve received from our partners across the National Capital Region and beyond,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact. “From the moment Ottawa was awarded the tournament, we have worked with the host organizing committee to engage organizations that are excited to contribute to the legacy of this year’s event, which has led to one of the largest group of partners in World Juniors history.”
The successful bid to host the World Juniors was a partnership between the Ottawa Senators, Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), Ottawa Tourism, Hockey Eastern Ontario (HEO), the City of Ottawa and the Province of Ontario.
Hockey Canada has 11 of its corporate partners activating at this year’s tournament, including Esso, TELUS, Tim Hortons, Bauer, BFL CANADA, PepsiCo, OK Tire, Timber Mart, AMJ Campbell and SportsPay.
TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, will broadcast all 29 tournament games.
In addition, 10 event partners are supporting the delivery of one of international hockey’s most prestigious tournaments: Access Storage, BUMP, Bumper to Bumper, Canadian Blood Services, FLO, LP Building Solutions, Myers Automotive Group, Niagara College, Supplement King and Walker Real Estate Group with RE/MAX.
The 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship begins today, with extremely limited ticket inventory for select games available at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.
To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Canada’s National Men’s Team roster named for 2024 Spengler Cup
Roster includes three returnees from 2023
CALGARY, Alberta – Twenty-six players will wear the Maple Leaf when Canada’s National Men’s Team looks to capture a record 17th championship at the 2024 Spengler Cup, Dec. 26-31 in Davos, Switzerland.
The three goaltenders, nine defencemen and 14 forwards were selected by co-general managers Brad Pascall (Coquitlam, BC/Calgary, NHL) and Joe Thornton (St. Thomas, ON), alongside assistant general manager Hnat Domenichelli (Edmonton, AB/HC Lugano, NL).
“All of the players named today are extremely excited to represent their country and wear the Maple Leaf as they compete at the Spengler Cup,” said Pascall. “Our management group feels we have a good mix of experienced players with a wealth of skill and leadership. This is a unique and exciting tournament, and we know these players will embrace the challenge in front of them.”
The roster includes three players - Philip-Michaël Devos (Sorel-Tracy, QC/HC Ajoie, NL),Jonathan Hazen (Val-Bélair, QC/HC Ajoie, NL) and Josh Jooris (Burlington, ON/Genève-Servette HC, NL) – who will be representing Canada at the prestigious annual invitational tournament for the second year in a row. Jooris helped Canada win its most recent title in 2019.
In total, seven players have previous Spengler Cup experience with Team Canada (Carr, Curran, Devos, Gagner, Grégoire, Hazen, Jooris) and three represented Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship (Bowey, Gagner, Hudon).
Canada opens the 2024 Spengler Cup against host HC Davos on Dec. 26 at 2:15 p.m. ET/11:15 a.m. PT and will also face the DEL’s Straubing Tigers in preliminary-round play. The championship game is set for Dec. 31 at 6:10 a.m. ET/3:10 a.m. PT.
TSN, Hockey Canada’s official broadcast partner, will broadcast all 11 tournament games; check local listings for details.
For more information on Hockey Canada and the Spengler Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Brayden Yager to captain Canada’s National Junior Team at 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship
Tanner Molendyk, Calum Ritchie to serve as alternate captains
OTTAWA, Ontario – Hockey Canada has announced that Brayden Yager (Saskatoon, SK/Lethbridge, WHL) will wear the ‘C’ for Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa.
Joining Yager on the leadership group are Tanner Molendyk (McBride, BC/Saskatoon, WHL) and Calum Ritchie (Oakville, ON/Oshawa, OHL), who will serve as alternate captains.
“I am honoured to be named captain of Team Canada for the World Juniors on a team with so many great leaders, and I am excited for our group to take the ice in Ottawa and continue working towards our goal of winning a gold medal on home ice,” Yager said. “Tanner and Calum are great players and teammates that are deserving of this honour, and I look forward to serving on the leadership group with them and wearing the Maple Leaf with pride in front of Canadian fans.”
The 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship begins on Boxing Day with four games, which includes Canada taking on Finland at the Canadian Tire Centre at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. Canada’s National Junior Team will also face off against Switzerland on Dec. 19, Sweden on Dec. 21 and Czechia on Dec. 23 in pre-tournament action on the Road to the World Juniors.
TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will once again provide extensive coverage of the event, broadcasting all 29 tournament games and all three Team Canada pre-tournament games.
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Junior Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Hockey Canada publishes annual Maltreatment in Sanctioned Hockey report
Expanded report marks third-straight year with published maltreatment data
CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada and its Members have published their annual Tracking Maltreatment in Sanctioned Hockey report, as part of their collective efforts to better track, identify and respond to maltreatment in the sport.
The report includes nation-wide data collected during the 2023-24 season of behaviours that breach Section 11 – Maltreatment of the Hockey Canada Playing Rules, and reviews two independent complaint management mechanisms: Hockey Canada’s Independent Third Party (ITP) and the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC).
“This year’s report is extremely important to better understand the behaviour that is occurring in our communities, as it now includes all tracked penalties and allegations of incidents related to Section 11 – Maltreatment, in addition to the statistics from OSIC and referenced data from the ITP,” said Natasha Johnston, vice-president of sport integrity for Hockey Canada. “Across the country, we are seeing much greater awareness of what constitutes maltreatment on and off the ice, which is encouraging as we seek to remove all forms of it from hockey.”
In December 2022, Hockey Canada and its Members published a report of all incidents of verbal taunts, insults or intimidation based on discriminatory grounds which occurred during the 2021-22 season, under Rule 11.4 – Discrimination.
Last year, the report expanded its scope to track more broad maltreatment behaviours, including the complaint intake data from the ITP and OSIC, tracking of Rule 11.4 penalties and allegations and pilot project data that tracked other maltreatment-related penalties with specific Members.
As part of its efforts to better prevent and address maltreatment behaviours, Hockey Canada will continue to make national reports on maltreatment publicly available and accessible on an annual basis as part of its overall sport integrity framework.
To learn more about Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Three host communities announced for fall 2025 events
Quebec and Newfoundland & Labrador to host for first time; Nova Scotia hosts for a third
CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada and its Member partners – Hockey Nova Scotia, Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador, and Hockey Quebec - have announced the host communities and tournament dates for two of its international events – the 2025 U17 World Challenge and 2025 Junior A World Challenge, along with the U18 Women’s National Championship.
“Hockey Canada takes great pride in welcoming premier hockey events and hockey talent to communities across the country,” said Dean McIntosh, senior vice-president of revenue, fan experience and community impact with Hockey Canada. “From sponsors to volunteers, communities over the years have proven to be excellent hosts, ensuring lasting memories and legacy for all participants.”
The U17 World Challenge will return to Nova Scotia for a third time (and first since January 2014) when Truro plays host from Oct. 31-Nov. 8. The tournament is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence and includes two Canadian teams and four international entries.
The U18 Women’s National Championship will be hosted in Newfoundland and Labrador for the first time when the City of Mount Pearl and Town of Conception Bay South welcome eight provincial and regional teams – Alberta, Atlantic, B.C., Manitoba, Ontario Blue, Ontario Red, Quebec and Saskatchewan – to compete for a national championship from Nov. 3-9.
The Junior A World Challenge will be hosted in Quebec for the first time, Dec. 7-13 in Trois-Rivières. An international showcase of some of the best young hockey talent, more than 300 NHL draft picks have played at the tournament since 2006, including 45 first-round draft picks.
Fans can stay up to date on schedules, ticket information and other promotions by signing up to become a Hockey Canada Insider.
For more information on Hockey Canada please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
For more information: |
- <
- >