CALGARY, Alta. –Hockey Canada has unveiled the coaching staffs for Canada’s National Women’s Team, Canada’s National Women’s Development Team and Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team for the 2023-24 season, with seven alumnae among those behind the bench.

Troy Ryan (Spryfield, NS) returns for his fourth year behind the bench as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team, joined by assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, NS), Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, QC/Concordia University, RSEQ) and Courtney Birchard-Kessel (Mississauga, ON/Boston University, HE), as well as goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, AB) and video coach Andrew Boucher (Timmins, ON).

“We’re excited about the coaching staff, including a number of alumnae, we have assembled for our women’s programs for the upcoming season,” said Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC), vice-president of hockey operations. “We are grateful for the commitment many of our coaches make to return year after year to lead and develop our athletes, and look forward to the leadership and expertise they will bring in leading our teams on the international stage.”

Ryan recently became the first coach to serve on the coaching staff for both Canada’s National Men’s Team and Canada’s National Women’s Team, winning a gold medal as an assistant at the 2023 IIHF World Championship and silver as head coach at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship. Ryan is going into his fifth season as head coach of the National Women’s Team after serving as an assistant coach for nearly four seasons (2016-19). Ryan coached Team Canada to back-to-back gold medals at the IIHF Women’s World Championship (2021, 2022), in addition to a gold medal at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. He also earned a silver medal at the 2018 Olympics, silver Women’s Worlds in 2017 and bronze in 2019.

Cheverie won a silver medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship. She also added gold medals as an assistant at Women’s Worlds in 2021 and 2022, and at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Cheverie became the first woman to serve on the coaching staff with one of Canada’s national men’s teams at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship. Nationally, she won a silver medal as head coach of Team Nova Scotia at the 2023 Canada Winter Games, the province’s first-ever medal in women’s hockey. She was also the first woman hired as a full-time assistant coach in U SPORTS with the Ryerson University men’s hockey team for five seasons (2016-21).

Ouellette was recently announced as an honoured member of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023. In May, she was also inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame. She is entering her third season as the associate head coach at Concordia University. Internationally, she won a silver medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship, along with gold in 2022 and bronze in 2019. As a player, she won four Olympic gold medals and six world championships during an illustrious 17-year international career.

Birchard-Kessel is entering her first year as an assistant coach at Boston University. Prior to joining BU, she spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Princeton University women’s hockey team (2019-23). She won a gold medal as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2023 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, and gold as an assistant at U18 Women’s Worlds in 2019, and has been an assistant with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team on two occasions (2017, 2019).

Canada’s National Women’s Team will head to southern Ontario for its Fall Festival training camp from Sept. 10-17, in preparation for the 2023-24 season, which includes the Rivalry Series, with dates and locations to be announced in the future. The season will conclude with the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship, tentatively scheduled for April 2024 in Utica, New York.

For a full list of staff for Canada’s National Women’s Team and a list of camp support staff, please click here.

Cheverie returns as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Development Team, alongside assistant coaches Rachel Flanagan (Pontypool, ON/University of Guelph, OUA) , Noémie Marin (Acton Vale, QC/John Abbott College, CEGEP) and Cassandra Turner (Campbellford, ON/Quinnipiac University, ECAC), as well as goaltending coach Sheldon Goertzen (Saskatoon, SK/University of Saskatchewan, CW) and Boucher as video coach.

Flanagan recently completed her 16th season as head coach of the University of Guelph women’s hockey team. During her tenure, Flanagan has led the Gryphons to a U SPORTS national title in 2019, in addition to three Ontario University Athletics (OUA) titles, and she has been named the OUA Coach of the Year on five occasions. She served as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team during the Rivalry Series in December 2022, has served as an assistant with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team three times (2011, 2012, 2022) and was recognized as a BFL Female Coach of the Year in 2020-21.

Marin is entering her ninth season as the women’s hockey head coach at John Abbott College. She was previously the head coach of Kuper Academy (2012-14). Marin led the development team as head coach during the 2016-17 season and was an assistant with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2015 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. On the national stage, she was an assistant with Quebec at the 2015 National Women’s Under-18 Championship and led Quebec to silver as head coach at the 2019 Canada Winter Games.

Turner is entering her ninth season as head coach of Quinnipiac’s women’s hockey team, having led the Bobcats to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament in each of the last two seasons. In 2015-16, her first season as head coach, she led the team to 30 wins, an NCAA record for wins by a first-year women’s hockey head coach. Turner captured a silver medal as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2015 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, and won gold as an assistant in 2014.

Following her role as an assistant coach during the 2022-23 season, Tara Watchorn (Newcastle, ON/Boston University, HE) takes the reins as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team. She will be joined by assistant coaches Stefanie McKeough (Carlsbad Springs, ON/University of Ottawa, OUA) and Vicky Sunohara (Scarborough, ON/University of Toronto, OUA) , as well as goaltending coach Gord Woodhall (Winnipeg, MB/Winnipeg, MFHL) and video coach Stef Thomson (Oshawa, ON)

Watchorn was named head coach of Boston University in April, becoming the first alumna of the women’s program to serve as its head coach. She served as the first head coach of Stonehill College’s women’s hockey team (2021-23), earning NEWHA Coach of the Year honours in the program’s inaugural season. Prior to joining Stonehill, Watchorn served as an assistant coach with BU for four seasons (2017-20). A 2014 Olympic gold medallist as a player, she won back-to-back gold medals as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in 2022 and 2023.

McKeough recently completed her third season as an assistant coach with the University of Ottawa women’s hockey team. Prior to joining the Gee-Gees, she served as head coach of Göteborg HC of the Svenka Damhockeyligen (SDHL) in Sweden during the 2020 season following two years as an assistant. As a player, McKeough won a silver medal with Canada at the 2009 IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship.

Sunohara is entering her 13th season as head coach of the University of Toronto women’s hockey team, winning both OUA and U SPORTS Coach of the Year honours in three consecutive seasons (2020-23) and leading the Blues to the OUA championship last spring. She won a gold medal as an assistant coach at the 2022 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. Internationally, Sunohara won two Olympic gold medals in addition to seven world championship golds, and ranks 10th in all-time Team Canada scoring with 119 points (56-63—119) in 164 career games.

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team will gather in St. Catharines, Ont., for selection camp from Aug. 9-13 in advance of a three-game series against the United States, Aug. 14-20 in Lake Placid, New York. It will chase a third-consecutive gold medal at the 2024 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Switzerland, Jan. 6-14.

For a full list of staff for Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team and a list of camp support staff, please click here.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

CALGARY, Alta. – The stage is set for Canada’s National Women’s Team, Canada’s National Women’s Development Team and Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team for the 2022-23 season, with 10 coaches set to serve behind the bench, including an all-woman staff for the under-18 team.

Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S.) returns for his third year as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team, joined by assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, N.S.), Alison Domenico (Ottawa, Ont./Providence College, HE) and Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, Que./Concordia University, RSEQ), as well as goaltending coach Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, Alta./University of Calgary, CW) and video coach James Emery (Calgary, Alta.).

“We are thrilled to welcome Troy, Kori, Ali, Brad and James back to our National Women’s Team for another season, and to add a high-caliber coach like Caroline to our staff,” said Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.), director of hockey operations with Hockey Canada. “Our women’s program is looking to build off of the momentum we gained last season, and we believe we have assembled a staff that will allow us to do exactly that while benefitting our athletes.”

Ryan most recently led Canada to gold medals at the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship and 2022 Olympic Winter Games. He also earned a silver medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, silver at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship and bronze at the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship as an assistant coach. He has served as the Atlantic Canada female coach mentor with the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic since 2016.

Cheverie won gold medals as an assistant coach at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship. She became the first woman to serve as a coach with one of Canada's national men's teams at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship and was also the first woman hired as a full-time assistant coach in U SPORTS, where she was an assistant the Ryerson University men's hockey team for five seasons (2016-21).

Domenico recently finished her first season as associate head coach with the Providence College women’s hockey team following three seasons as an assistant coach. Most recently, she won a gold medal as an assistant coach at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. She was also named an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team for the 2021-22 season before being added to the Olympic coaching staff.

Ouellette is entering her second season as associate head coach of the women’s hockey team at Concordia University after serving as interim head coach during the 2020-21. On the international stage, she won bronze as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship and silver with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2009 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. As a player, she won four Olympic gold medals and six world titles with Canada’s National Women’s Team during a 17-year international career.

Canada’s National Women’s Team will gather in Calgary for selection camp from Aug. 2-14 ahead of the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship, set for Aug. 24-Sept. 4 in Herning and Frederikshavn, Denmark.

FOR A FULL LIST OF STAFF FOR CANADA’S NATIONAL WOMEN’S TEAM AND A LIST OF CAMP SUPPORT STAFF, PLEASE CLICK HERE

On the under-18 side, Courtney Birchard-Kessel (Mississauga, Ont./Princeton University, ECAC) will make her international head coaching debut with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team. She will be joined by assistant coaches Stefanie McKeough (Carlsbad Springs, Ont./University of Ottawa, OUA) and Tara Watchorn (Newcastle, Ont./Stonehill College, NEWHA), as well as goaltending coach Gord Woodhall (Winnipeg, Man./Winnipeg, MFHL) and video coach Stef Thomson (Oshawa, Ont.).

Birchard-Kessel has been an assistant coach with the Princeton University women’s hockey team for the past three seasons (2019-22). She also won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2019 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, and has been an assistant with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team twice (2017, 2019).

McKeough recently completed her second season as an assistant coach with the University of Ottawa women’s hockey team (2020-22). She previously served as head coach of Göteborg HC of the Svenka Damhockeyligen (SDHL) in Sweden during the 2020 season after two years (2018-19) as an assistant. As a player, McKeough won a silver medal with Canada at the 2009 IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship.

Watchorn is preparing for the first season of women’s hockey at Stonehill College after serving as an assistant coach with Boston College for four seasons (2017-20). She recently won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2022 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, and was an assistant with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team for a three-game series against the United States in 2019.

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team will gather in Calgary from Aug. 2-14 for selection ahead of a three-game series against the United States, Aug. 17-20, as well as the 2023 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Sweden. 

FOR A FULL LIST OF STAFF FOR CANADA’S NATIONAL UNDER-18 WOMEN’S TEAM AND A LIST OF CAMP SUPPORT STAFF, PLEASE CLICK HERE

Cheverie will also take the reigns as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Development Team, joined by assistant coaches Rachel Flanagan (Pontypool, Ont./University of Guelph, OUA) and Marc-André Côté (Montreal, Que./University of Moncton, AUS), as well as goaltending coach Perry Wilson (LaSalle, Ont./University of Windsor, OUA) and video coach Richard Bue (Ottawa, Ont.).

Flanagan is entering her 16th season as head coach of the University of Guelph women’s hockey team, where she helped secure the team’s first-ever national championship in 2019. She has also captured five Ontario University Athletics (OUA) titles, has been named the OUA Coach of the Year on five occasions, has served as assistant coach of Canada’s National Women’s Development Team twice (2011, 2012) and was named a BFL Female Coach of the Year in 2021.

Côté recently served as head coach of the University of Moncton women’s hockey team for two seasons (2018-20) after spending the previous five seasons (2013-18) as an assistant coach, where he won an Atlantic University Sport (AUS) championship. He also served as a camp coach at Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team selection camp in 2022.

Canada’s National Women’s Development Team will join Canada’s National Women’s Team for selection camp in Calgary from Aug. 2-14 and will compete in a three-game series against the United States from Aug. 17-20.

“This is an exciting time for Canada’s National Women’s Program as we welcome a staff of experienced coaches that have been involved at many levels of our program to lead our National Women’s Under-18 Team and National Women’s Development Team this season,” Kingsbury said. “It is also exciting to have all three of our national women’s teams in Calgary to kick off a new hockey season, and we look forward to welcoming our athletes and assembling teams for multiple events this summer.”

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CALGARY, Alta. – After a 2020-21 season that saw limited on-ice opportunities and virtual summer camps, Hockey Canada has announced its men’s and women’s national teams will return to the ice in July for their annual summer camps.

From July 25-Aug. 10, Hockey Canada’s national team program, including the men’s under-18 and under-20 teams, and women’s under-18, NextGen (born in 2003), development and senior national teams, will gather in Calgary for a series of on- and off-ice activities for the first time since 2019.

“After a unique and difficult season, Hockey Canada is thrilled to provide our national team athletes and staff the opportunity to return to the ice for our annual summer camps in Calgary,” said Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.), senior vice-president of national teams. “We look forward to hosting the top athletes and staff from across the country in July, and are excited to kick off our preparations for a new season and a number of international competitions.”

The Program of Excellence (POE) camps, which includes the men’s under-18 and under-20 programs, will take place at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on the Tsuut'ina Nation, while the BFL National Women’s Program Summer Showcase, presented by Sobeys, will take place at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park. Canada’s National Para Hockey Team will also gather for a five-day off-ice boot camp in preparation for the 2021-22 season and 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

“This year’s summer camps mark the first time that all levels of the National Women’s Program will participate in camp at the same time, helping us provide consistency with all our athletes and staff throughout the program,” said Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.), director of women’s national teams. “Despite a difficult season, our athletes have done an excellent job of staying connected and working hard with limited resources, and we are excited to get back on the ice this summer as we work towards the upcoming season.”

The following national team camps and programs will be hosted in Calgary this summer:

• National Para Hockey Team boot camp (July 21-25)
• National Women’s Team pre-worlds camp (July 25-Aug. 10)
• National Men’s Under-18 Team summer development camp (July 26-Aug. 3)
• BFL National Women’s Under-18 Team summer camp, presented by Sobeys (July 29-Aug. 5) – including NextGen athletes
• BFL National Women’s Development Team summer camp, presented by Sobeys (July 29-Aug. 9)
• National Junior Team summer development camp (July 29-Aug. 3)

In the coming weeks, Hockey Canada will announce the rosters and staffs for each national team program.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook and Twitter.

Since 2011, the United Nations has recognized Oct. 11 as International Day of the Girl Child, honouring girls’ rights and the unique challenges they face around the world.

“Only by ensuring the rights of women and girls across all the goals will we get to justice and inclusion, economies that work for all, and sustaining our shared environment now and for future generations.” – United Nations

This year’s campaign is themed My Voice, Our Equal Future, which hopes to inspire today’s generation of girls to lead as activists, thereby accelerating social change. To honour and to celebrate, HockeyCanada.ca brought together gamechangers who advocate for and accelerate change in Canada’s game.

Through various initiatives, including the Hockey Canada Foundation’s Hockey is Hers (see below), Hockey Canada, as a leading national sport organization, is striving towards increased opportunities for more girls to play. Amplifying the actions and voices of national team players and alumni is important to inspire young girls across the country. For Hockey Canada, the goal is to remove barriers so all girls can benefit from the positive life skills and experiences learned on and off the ice.

Why is it important for young girls to see women playing the game at the highest level?

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence and National Women’s Program are preparing for the 2019-20 season with a pair of four-day goaltending camps at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. 

The camps bring together the top goaltending talent and elite-level instructors from across the country. They serve as the initial evaluation stage for summer development and selections camps for Canada’s national teams.

The Program of Excellence goaltending camp, set for June 5-8, will welcome 26 male goaltenders, including 10 at the under-20 level, four at the under-18 level and 12 in the under-17 category.

“The Program of Excellence goaltending camp is another great opportunity to work with the top young goaltenders in the country, and a very important part of the development process for these athletes,” said Shawn Bullock, director of men’s national teams for Hockey Canada. “This four-day camp will provide goalies at all levels of our program the benefit of working with and learning from some of the top instructors in Canada in preparation for the upcoming season.” 

On the National Women’s Program side, 20 goaltenders will gather in Calgary from June 6-9 for four days of practices. Eleven goaltenders will participate in the National Women’s Team and National Women’s Development Team camp, joined by nine in the under-18 category.

“We are excited to welcome 20 of the top goaltenders in the country, and to continue to develop the strong talent pool of goalies in Canada,” said Gina Kingsbury, director of women’s national teams for Hockey Canada. “Having all our athletes from the under-18 level to the national team work with the same group of elite coaches provides consistency to our program and allows for development at all ages of the National Women’s Program.”

All on-ice sessions are open to the public and media.

For more information on Hockey Canada, the Program of Excellence and National Women’s Program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook and Twitter.

It’s on to the next challenge for Sarah Nurse.

The 2018 Olympic silver medallist went second overall to the Toronto Furies in the 2018 CWHL Draft, opening the book on her professional career after a successful four-year run at the University of Wisconsin.

The Hamilton, Ont., native has been no stranger to the red and white of Team Canada, wearing her country’s colours in 46 games across all three levels of the national women’s program – Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, Canada’s National Women’s Development Team and Canada’s National Women’s Team.

Her international career includes gold at the 2013 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship and 2014 Nations Cup, and silver at the 4 Nations Cup in 2015 and 2017, at the 2017 Nations Cup and in PyeongChang.

But Nurse was far from the only Team Canada alumna to have her name called on draft day. When it was all over, 14 players with Team Canada experience – including five of the six first-round picks – had joined a CWHL roster.

The list includes Halli Krzyzaniak, a two-time U18 world champion and three-time member of the Canadian contingent at the IIHF Women’s World Championship, and Rebecca Leslie, who wore the ‘C’ with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team at the 2018 Nations Cup.

Four other draftees have also worn letters for Canada: Victoria Bach (alternate captain), Krzyzaniak (captain and alternate captain) and Nurse (alternate captain) with the development team, and Krzyzaniak (alternate captain) and Hannah Miller (alternate captain) with the under-18 side.

All told, 10 players have won a U18 world title (Bach, Geneviève Bannon, Catherine Daoust, Krzyzaniak, Leslie, Miller, Eden Murray, Kimberly Newell, Nurse and Shea Tiley), five have won gold with the development team (Bach, Mellissa Channell, Krzyzaniak, Leslie and Nurse) and one has helped the senior team top the podium (Krzyzaniak). Combined, they’ve brought home 18 gold medals.

Team Canada alumnae selected in the 2018 CWHL Draft included:

1st Round
2. Toronto – Sarah Nurse
WU18: 2012-13 – 7GP 1G 0A 1P
NWDT: 2014-17 – 21GP 7G 12A 19P
NWT: 2015-18 – 18GP 4G 1A 5P

3. Markham – Victoria Bach
WU18: 2013-14 – 8GP 5G 3A 8P
NWDT: 2014-18 – 30GP 15G 17A 32P

4. Calgary – Halli Krzyzaniak
WU18: 2011-13 – 18GP 3G 9A 12P
NWDT: 2014-17 – 15GP 0G 3A 3P
NWT: 2014-17 – 34GP 3G 6A 9P

5. Shenzhen – Kimberly Newell
WU18: 2012-13 – 6GP 1.65GAA 1SO 6-0-0

6. Toronto – Shea Tiley
WU18: 2013-14 – 7GP 0.99GAA 2SO 4-1-0
NWDT: 2016 – 2GP 0.00GAA 0SO 1-0-0

8. Toronto – Brittany Howard
NWDT: 2018 – 1GP 5G 1A 6P

2nd Round
10. Calgary – Rebecca Leslie
WU18: 2013-14 – 8GP 2G 6A 8P
NWDT: 2015-18 – 19GP 5G 8A 13P

12. Montreal – Geneviève Bannon
WU18: 2012-13 – 10GP 1G 3A 4P

3rd Round
14. Toronto – Mellissa Channell
WU18: 2011 – 3GP 0G 0A 0P
NWDT: 2012-16 – 19GP 1G 5A 6P

15. Shenzhen – Hannah Miller
WU18: 2012-14 – 18GP 6G 4A 10P
NWDT: 2017-18 – 6GP 1G 5A 6P

5th Round
26. Markham – Gina Repaci
WU18: 2010-11 – 8GP 1G 1A 2P
NWDT: 2014 – 3GP 0G 0A 0P

28. Montreal – Catherine Daoust
WU18: 2012-13 – 10GP 1G 3A 4P

8th Round
42. Calgary – Eden Murray
WU18: 2012-13 – 10GP 1G 2A 3P
NWDT: 2016 – 1GP 0G 0A 0P

9th Round
48. Montreal – Olivia Atkinson
NWDT: 2017 – 2GP 0G 1A 1P

TORONTO – May 18, 2018 – Hockey Canada and Bauer Hockey have extended their partnership through a new eight-year deal that will see the nation’s top teams provided with equipment from the world’s top brand, and a continued collaboration on opportunities to increase participation, welcome new players and engage existing players.

“One of our team’s highest points of pride is our continued partnership with Hockey Canada because it is an example of the game’s best at a variety of age levels selecting BAUER for their game,” said Ed Kinnaly, CEO of Bauer Hockey. “More than the equipment, this partnership allows us to come together with Hockey Canada to advance our shared missions, such as when we created The First Shift in 2013 together, and we’re looking forward to continuing this collaborative approach over the next eight years.”

For the past 45 years, Bauer Hockey and Hockey Canada have been partners, and continuing a tradition since 1996, Bauer Hockey will be the official equipment provider of Hockey Canada’s national teams. Canada’s national team players will exclusively wear BAUER helmets, gloves, visors and goal masks, including at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship when it returns to Canadian ice in Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., in December 2018.

“Our partnership with BAUER provides Hockey Canada with the best equipment for our national men’s, women’s, and para hockey teams, while also aligning us with a like-minded organization that cares about growing the game at the grassroots level,” said Scott Smith, president and chief operating officer at Hockey Canada. “We look forward to eight more years of collaboration with BAUER from the grassroots level to our high-performance teams.”

In addition to the equipment partnership, Bauer Hockey and Hockey Canada will continue to collaborate in areas where they have shared missions. Over the last several years, the two organizations combined resources and expertise to create, launch and expand The Canadian Tire First Shift, a successful program that welcomes new-to-hockey families to the game.

Today in partnership with Canadian Tire it is offered in hundreds of communities across Canada. Bauer Hockey and Hockey Canada will continue to identify and develop other initiatives to further advance the game for both new and existing players, including activation at major hockey tournaments and all IIHF events hosted by Hockey Canada.

To learn more about Hockey Canada, visit www.HockeyCanada.ca.

TORONTO, ON, August 2, 2016 - Hockey Canada, in partnership with Nike and players representing Canada’s national women’s, men’s, and sledge teams, unveiled the new Team Canada jersey in Toronto on Tuesday.

Designed by Nike to celebrate Canada’s 150^th anniversary of Confederation, the jersey will make its competitive debut this week when 41 of the nation’s best under-20 players face off against teams from Finland,Sweden, and the United States in Plymouth, Mich., in their quest to represent Canada on home ice when the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship returns to Toronto and Montreal this December.

Tailor-made for the nation’s athletes, the Team Canada jerseys give a nod to Canada’s rich history while also incorporating performance innovation by Nike.

“This jersey is designed to match performance with patriotism,” said Tom Renney, president and chief executive officer, Hockey Canada. “I have been lucky to be able to turn my passion for the game into a career; and what I realized very early on is that hockey goes well beyond what’s learned on the ice. Hockey is part of the fabric of our nation, and teaches all of the life lessons that build great citizens. We wanted to ensure that every aspect of this jersey had a deep meaning to Canadians, while still pushing the envelope with innovation. From the bottom white stripe to the embedded maple leaves, the jersey is emblematic of that intrinsic link between the game and the 35 million Canadians who carry the Maple Leaf in their hearts.”

Engineered using Nike AeroSwift Technology and woven with Ripstop Fabric, the jersey is made to endure the athletes’ fast and physical performance on the ice. Meshed zones under both arms support thermoregulation through optimal ventilation allowing players to stay cool during the game.

The jersey prominently features the Canada 150 logo on both sleeves, composed of a series of diamonds that represent the four original Confederation provinces, forming the shape of the iconic Maple Leaf. On the upper section of the jersey, rows of maple leaves fill the jersey’s shoulder caps, forming one of the most patriotic features ever seen on a national jersey. The icon of the Maple Leaf represents one voice and the repeat of the icon represents the nation rallying around hockey. The unique and classic double-stripe on the jersey’s sleeves returns, but has been accentuated with a black and red accent making the exclusive design pop like never before.

“In 2017, as we celebrate the milestone 150^th anniversary of Confederation, we naturally reflect on the integral role that hockey plays in uniting Canadians,” says Raj Grewal, MP for Brampton East. “This year’s jersey reflects the pride this great game brings to our country and its importance in our culture.”

In addition to the upcoming National Junior Team development camp games, Team Canada fans will see the new jersey in action at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cupwhen the men’s summer under-18 team look to defend their golden streak this month, as well as during a three-game series hosted in Calgary featuring Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team and Canada’s National Women’s Development Team going head-to-head against their U.S. rivals.

The new Team Canada jersey is available on August 2 at Nike stores and online at Nike.com and HockeyCanada.ca/Shop, at Hockey Canada’s official retail partner SportChek, and other Canadian retailers from coast to coast.

About Hockey Canada

Hockey Canada is the governing body for hockey in Canada and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), with a membership through its 13 provincial member associations of over 700,000 players, coaches and officials. Hockey Canada is a not-for-profit organization that creates leading-edge hockey development programs for its members to deliver in communities across Canada; provides consistent rules and regulations and various other membership services from coast to coast to coast; manages numerous regional, national, and international hockey championships and events; and leads the operation of all teams that represent Canada in international hockey competition. Hockey Canada’s mission is to “lead, develop and promote positive hockey experiences.”For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or join our social media communities onFacebook, Instagram, SnapChat (@hockey_canada), and Twitter.

About NIKE Inc.

NIKE, Inc., based near Beaverton, Ore., is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly-owned NIKE, Inc. subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes surf and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit www.nikeinc.com and follow @Nike.

CALGARY, Alta. – Canada’s National Women’s Program has invited the nation’s top goaltenders to its annual goaltending camp as part of the evaluation process for identifying the players who will be invited to future national team camps and events.

This year’s goaltending camp runs June 2-5 at the Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary, and features eight netminders in the under-18 group – three of which took part last year; five goaltenders in the development group; and four international medallists with the national team group.

“We have some of the top goaltenders in the world and we want to capitalize on each player’s talent,” said Melody Davidson, Hockey Canada’s general manager of national women’s team programs. “This is a chance for our players to learn from and train with some of the best women’s high performance goaltending coaches in Canada, both on and off the ice.”

Instructors for the camp include:

• Nicolas Champagne (Laval, Que./Université de Montréal, RSEQ)
• Matt Cockell (Winnipeg/Brandon, WHL)
• Roxanne Douville (Beloeil, Que./ University of Vermont, Hockey East)
• Joe Johnston (Lower Sackville, N.S./Hockey Canada)
• Maxime Joyal (Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Que./Limoilou, CEGEP)
• Brad Kirkwood (Calgary /University of Calgary, CWUAA)
• Kyle MacDonald (Rothesay, N.B./Hockey New Brunswick)
• Amanda Mazzotta (London, Ont./Quinnipiac University, ECAC)
• Sandy Sampson (Whitby, Ont./Ryerson University, OUA)
• Amanda Tapp (Calgary/Hockey Alberta)
• Pasquale Valana (Delta, B.C./B.C. Hockey)
• Perry Wilson (LaSalle, Ont./Hockey Canada)

National Women’s Program alumna Roxanne Douville and Amanda Mazzotta are making the change from goaltending to instructing. Mazzotta has found success behind the bench with Hockey Canada, serving as goaltending coach with Canada's National Women’s Under-18 Team in 2014-15, and with Canada's National Women’s Development Team in 2015-16. Douville, who was a member of Team Canada at the U18 and development levels, is making her debut with the program as an instructor.

All on-ice sessions are open to public and media.

For more information on Canada’s National Women’s Program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, Twitter, or Twitter.com/HC_Women.