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Chloe Primerano of Canada, down, and Finland's Susanna Tapani chase the puck during the semi final match between Canada and Finland at the Women's Ice Hockey Championships in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
By The Canadian Press

Youth movement sweeps through Canadian women’s hockey team for world championship

Oct 19, 2026 | 12:09 PM

CALGARY — Canada will ice a younger team at the women’s world hockey championship than it did at the Olympic Games.

Hockey Canada has announced its 25-player roster for the world championship Nov. 6-16 in Herning and Esbjerg, Denmark.

The average age of Canada’s roster dropped to 25.8 after an Olympic side at 29.2 took the silver medal in February.

Captain Marie-Philip Poulin will not play in Denmark as she recovers from knee surgery. Veteran forwards Natalie Spooner, Sarah Nurse, Blayre Turnbull and goalie Emerance Maschmeyer were invited to selection camp, but were unable to attend.

Veteran forward Brianne Jenner and defender Jocelyne Larocque were left off the world championship roster, which will feature 18-year-old forwards Rosalie Tremblay and Hayley McDonald and 19-year-old defender Chloe Primerano.

The United States beat Canada 2-1 in overtime in the Olympic final in Milan, Italy.

Driven by a class of talented college players, and first-overall PWHL pick Caroline Harvey, the Americans are expected to be strong for several years.

The International Ice Hockey Federation moved the women’s tournament from its usual April time slot to November to avoid conflict with the PWHL schedule.

The Montreal Victoire’s Kori Cheverie will coach Canada in Denmark.

Canada’s roster of three goalies, eight defenders and 14 forwards includes 19 PWHL players and six from the NCAA.

Thirteen were Olympic silver medallists and a dozen helped Canada win its most recent world title in 2024. Six will make their world championship debut in Denmark.

Veteran goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens will be backed up by Ève Gascon and Kayle Osborne.

Renata Fast, Sophie Jaques, Erin Ambrose, Kati Tabin, Ella Shelton, Nicole Gosling, Kendall Cooper and Primerano round out the defence.

Laura Stacey, Emily Clark, Sarah Fillier, Emma Maltais, Kristin O’Neill, Daryl Watts, Danielle Serdachny, Rebecca Leslie, Jessie Eldridge, Caitlin Kraemer, Sara Manness, Sarah Wozniewicz, Tremblay and McDonald comprise the forward group.

The roster was chosen from a 48-player October selection camp in Quebec City.

Canada will play pre-tournament games against the U.S. on Oct. 28 in Windsor, Ont., and Oct. 30 in Plymouth, Mich.

Canada opens the world championship Nov. 6 against Sweden.

The United States is the defending world champion after a 4-3 overtime win over Canada in the 2025 final in Czechia.

Canada’s women have won 13 gold medals in 24 world championships.

This is a corrected story. An earlier version misspelled the names of Sarah Fillier and Daryl Watts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2026.

The Canadian Press


by The Canadian Press