6 Players Make Worlds Debut as Canadian Women’s Hockey Team Looks to Youth | CBC Sports

A changed roster for Denmark

The tournament is scheduled for Nov. 6 to 16 in Denmark. Canada will seek to reclaim the world championship with a roster that differs markedly from the one at the Olympics in February.

The team had gone eight straight matchups without beating the United States. The Americans had brought in young talent over the previous four years, while Canada at times appeared slower and less connected, according to the report.

New faces and returning players

Six players are set to make their world championship debuts. Three collegiate players—19-year-old Chloe Primerano, 20-year-old Caitlin Kraemer and 23-year-old Ève Gascon—are returning for their second tournament. Several players earned places through their PWHL performances: Ottawa Charge forwards Rebecca Leslie and Sarah Wozniewicz, Las Vegas defender Kendall Cooper, Hamilton defender Nicole Gosling and Montreal Victoire forward Jessie Eldridge. Leslie and Wozniewicz are among the debutants after helping Ottawa reach the Walter Cup final.

PWHL results under review

Leslie scored 14 goals in 30 regular-season games for Ottawa last season, tying Eldridge for second in the league behind Minnesota’s Kelly Pannek. The selection process is also intended to assess whether strong PWHL performances carry over to international competition.

The article quotes no speaker for the comments about evaluating PWHL success and seeing players compete internationally; it does not identify who made them. Head coach Kori Cheverie said the group had energy, hunger and determination, and that Canada would build on that momentum in preparation for Denmark.

Veterans and new leadership

Just 13 members of Canada’s Olympic team were named to the roster. Captain Marie-Philip Poulin is among the veterans not included after major knee surgery in July, and her return date is unclear.

The roster is the first selected by a new management group and coaching staff led by Sauvageau and Cheverie. Cheverie’s assistants are Caroline Ouellette of the Montreal Victoire, Alison Domenico of the University of Ottawa and Kris Sparre of PWHL Hamilton.