Hockey Canada has announced a 25-player roster for the women's world championship in Herning and Esbjerg, Denmark (Nov. 6–16) that marks a clear youth movement: the average age of the team is 25.8, a significant drop from the Olympic squad that averaged 29.2 earlier this year.
Youth and experience blended
The selection, drawn from a 48-player October camp in Quebec City, balances veteran presence with emerging players. The roster includes notable absences: captain Marie-Philip Poulin will not play as she recovers from knee surgery, and several veteran forwards and a goaltender invited to selection camp — Natalie Spooner, Sarah Nurse, Blayre Turnbull and Emerance Maschmeyer — were unable to attend. Long-time contributors Brianne Jenner and defender Jocelyne Larocque were omitted from the final roster.
Canada’s roster features a mix of established names who bring international pedigree and fresh faces poised to make an impact. Among the newcomers are 18-year-old forwards Rosalie Tremblay and Hayley McDonald, and 19-year-old defender Chloe Primerano. Six players on the roster will make their world championship debuts in Denmark.
Staff and structure
The team will be coached by Kori Cheverie, head coach of the Montreal Victoire, with a lineup comprising three goaltenders, eight defenders and 14 forwards. Veteran netminder Ann-Renée Desbiens will lead the crease, supported by Ève Gascon and Kayle Osborne.
Canada’s selection testifies to the strength of the country’s development pipeline: 19 players are from the PWHL and six came through the NCAA. Thirteen of the rostered players earned Olympic silver earlier this year, and a dozen were part of the Canadian squad that captured the world title in 2024.
- Average age: 25.8 (Olympic team 29.2)
- Roster size: 25 players
- Composition: 3 goalies, 8 defenders, 14 forwards
- League representation: 19 PWHL, 6 NCAA
- Experience: 13 Olympic silver medallists, 12 from 2024 world champion side, 6 world championship debuts
| Category | Number |
|---|---|
| Goalies | 3 |
| Defenders | 8 |
| Forwards | 14 |
| Average age | 25.8 |
Context and consequences
The move to a younger roster comes with strategic and practical considerations. The International Ice Hockey Federation shifted the women's world championship from its traditional April slot to November to avoid clashes with the PWHL schedule. That calendar change, coupled with injuries and player availability, has encouraged Hockey Canada to test younger players on the international stage while still relying on a core of experienced medallists.
The United States, buoyed by collegiate talent and the top pick in the PWHL draft, Caroline Harvey, remain a formidable rival after defeating Canada 2-1 in overtime for Olympic gold in Milan. Pre-tournament games — including two exhibitions against the U.S. on Oct. 28 in Windsor, Ont., and Oct. 30 in Plymouth, Mich. — will give the coaching staff a chance to refine lines and assess how quickly the younger players adapt to senior international competition.
For Hockey Canada, the Denmark tournament is both a proving ground and a bridge. The younger average age suggests a view toward sustaining competitiveness over coming seasons while managing the recovery and availability of senior leaders. How the blend of youth and experience performs in Herning and Esbjerg will inform selections for future world championships and Olympic cycles.
With expectations high and a reshaped roster, Canada will enter the November tournament under the guidance of Cheverie, aiming to defend the national standard on a global stage and to keep pace with a surging American side. The roster’s composition underscores the depth of Canadian women’s hockey talent across professional and collegiate ranks — and highlights the country’s effort to evolve as the international calendar and professional landscape shift.
