Hockey Canada has released its 23-player roster that will represent the country on home ice at the 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s World Championship in Brampton next month.
The team will look to capture its third straight gold with some familiar faces.
Eighteen players selected to the roster were part of Canada’s championship team last year in Denmark, and all players except forward Danielle Serdachny have previously appeared in a world championship.
Head coach Troy Ryan was part of the coaching staff that won back-to-back gold medals at the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Calgary and the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China.
He said in a statement that picking out the roster was not an easy decision.
Team Canada looks to compete for a gold medal on home ice at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship, April 5 to 16 at the CAA Centre in Brampton, Ont. Photo credit: IIHF
“Our staff had some very difficult decisions selecting this roster and that speaks to the depth that we have within our program,” he said. “We are confident that we have assembled a talented roster with a great deal of character and leadership.
All games will be played in Brampton at the CAA Centre, bringing the international competition to the GTA for the first time in more than 20 years.
Gina Kingsbury, director of hockey operations, said playing on home ice will be special.
“We are extremely excited for the 23 players who will have the opportunity to wear the Maple Leaf on home ice and compete for a gold medal in front of friends, family, and Canadian hockey fans,” Kingsbury said.
“It is special to host women’s worlds in Canada and welcome the nine other competing federations while showcasing the talent and class of competition in our game,” she said.
“We know the atmosphere in Brampton will be electric and we are excited for the chance to go for gold next month,” Kingsbury said.
The 10-team tournament features Canada in Group A with Czechia, Japan, Switzerland, and the United States, while Group B includes Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, and Sweden.
Canada will kick off the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship against Switzerland on April 5, and followed with Czechia on April 7 and Japan on April 8.
It will close out the preliminary round against its rivals, the United States, on April 10, with all Team Canada preliminary-round games starting at 7 p.m. EST, 4 p.m. PST.