Hockey Canada announced its 25-player roster for the upcoming women’s world championship on October 19, 2026, featuring debutants and a reduced average age of 25.8 as the program looks toward the 2030 Winter Olympics.
Canada will ice a younger national women’s hockey team at the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship, scheduled for November 6 to 16 in Herning and Esbjerg, Denmark. The roster selection, announced October 19, brings the squad’s average age down to 25.8 years from the 29.2-year average carried at the Olympic Games in February, where Canada captured silver after a 2-1 overtime loss to the United States. General manager Danièle Sauvageau noted that the program is building towards 2030 while preparing for the world championship.
Debutants Join the Roster for Denmark
The youth movement introduces several talents to the international stage, including Caitlin Kraemer, Rebecca Leslie, Sara Manness, Hayley McDonald, Rosalie Tremblay, Kati Tabin, and Sarah Wozniewicz. Kendall Cooper and Chloe Primerano join the defensive corps, while Eve Gascon joins the goaltending group.
For Wozniewicz, a Cochrane, Alberta native playing for the Ottawa Charge, the selection follows a standout rookie professional season where she recorded seven goals and six assists across 30 regular-season games, setting an Ottawa rookie scoring record with 13 points. General manager Danièle Sauvageau emphasized that the coaching staff wanted to test whether player performances in the PWHL and playoffs could translate into an international style of play.
Roster Turnover and Missing Veterans
The lineup shift follows a period where the Canadian team lost eight straight matchups against the United States. Marie-Philip Poulin is not playing this year as she recovers after undergoing knee surgery over the summer. Also absent from the roster are Sarah Nurse, who missed training camp with back issues, along with Jocelyne Larocque, Emerance Maschmeyer, Natalie Spooner, and Claire Thompson, who retired from hockey after last season. Blayre Turnbull is stepping away from the game as she is set to become a mother in the near future. Due to all these alterations, Renata Fast stands as the sole player carrying leadership experience from the previous season as the national squad enters the world championship.
Coaching Staff and Returnees
Kori Cheverie will coach Canada in Denmark, supported by a coaching staff that includes Caroline Ouellette, Alison Domenico, and Kris Sparre. The 13 athletes coming back to the national squad from the February silver-medal lineup consist of Erin Ambrose, Emily Clark, Ann-Renée Desbiens, Renata Fast, Sarah Fillier, Sophie Jaques, Emma Maltais, Kristin O’Neill, Kayle Osborne, Ella Shelton, Laura Stacey, Kati Tabin, and Daryl Watts. Ann-Renée Desbiens, who has been Canada’s number one goaltender since the 2021 Women’s Worlds, is expected to lead the team throughout the tournament, backed by Kayle Osborne and Eve Gascon. The roster also marks the return of Jessie Eldridge, as well as Nicole Gosling and Danielle Serdachny, who were both left off Canada’s Olympic roster.
Building Toward the 2030 Winter Games
The tournament in Denmark marks a new phase for Canada, which is seeking its first gold medal in a major international tournament since the 2024 World Championships. Prior to the tournament, Canada will play exhibition games against the United States on October 28 in Windsor, Ontario, and October 30 in Plymouth, Michigan.
