CALGARY, Alta. – Following an 11-day selection camp, 46 players have been named to Canada’s National Women’s Development Team and Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team for a pair of three-game series against the United States, Aug. 17-20 at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.

A total of 142 players were invited to attend selection camps as part of the BFL National Women’s Program Summer Showcase, which involved on- and off-ice training, classroom sessions and fitness testing. Canada’s National Women’s Development Team was selected following the National Women’s Team selection camp, which included six intrasquad games. The National Women's Under-18 Team selection camp included games against Finland’s national women’s under-18 team before players were chosen to compete against the United States.

“Gathering players at our development and under-18 levels for assessment and scouting is an integral part in the growth of our athletes, especially as we begin preparations for a new four-year cycle leading into the 2026 Olympics,” said Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.), director of hockey operations. “Our three-game series against the Americans, who share a historic past with our program, will allow us to begin to identify athletes in our system who will be competing at the highest international level for us in the coming years.”

Canada’s National Women’s Development Team

The roster for the U.S. series includes 23 players (two goaltenders, seven defence and 13 forwards). It features:

-      Six players who played for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team in a three-game series against the United States in Lake Placid, N.Y., in August 2019 (Connors, Fecteau, Gosling, Kirk, Potomak, Shirley)

-      One player who won a gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2022 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Madison, Wis. (Swiderski) 

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team

The roster for the U.S. series includes 23 players (three goaltenders, seven defence and 13 forwards). It features:

-      Seven players who won a gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2022 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Madison, Wis. (Amos, Aubin, Baxter, Grober, Law, Murphy, Pais) 

-      One player who participated in the 2022 Esso Cup, Canada’s National Women’s U18 Club Championship in Okotoks, Alta. (Caron)

Following the series, Hockey Canada, led by Kingsbury in coordination with Cherie Piper (Scarborough, Ont.), senior manager of player development and scouting, and with consultation from regional scouts and the U18 coaching staff, will continue to assess players with their club teams throughout the first part of the 2022-23 season in preparation for selecting the Canadian team that will compete at the 2023 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, Jan. 8-15, 2023 in Östersund and Brunflo, Sweden. Additionally, all players will be considered for possible invites to future camps and events with Canada’s National Women’s Team.

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