Canada won the Rivalry Series, and now they've got another month to watch players perform before naming an official World Championship roster. Based on how the Rivalry Series played out, here's a look at how Canada's roster could shape up.
Canada won the Rivalry Series, and now they've got another month to watch players perform before naming an official World Championship roster. Based on how the Rivalry Series played out, here's a look at how Canada's roster could shape up.
Looking at the Rivalry Series as the primary tryout for Canada's national team roster that will represent the nation at the 2024 World Championships in Utica, New York, there are still question marks, while other players seemingly solidified their spots.
When Canada does name their team, you can bet the veteran mainstays will be there like Marie-Philip Poulin, Sarah Nurse, Renata Fast, and Ann-Renee Desbiens. It's reasonable to believe that 20 or more members from last year's World Championship roster will return, but it was a roster that looked outmatched by Team USA. Rebecca Johnstone will not be returning up front, which means at least one forward spot is open, while it begs to reason Claire Thompson will not be returning to Canada's blueline this year.
Canada could however, shake up their roster even further this year.
Forwards
There's no such thing as a sure thing, unless your name is Marie-Philip Poulin. But it's pretty safe to say the stalwarts of Team Canada forward group aren't going anywhere. Poulin, Nurse, Blayre Turnbull, Natalie Spooner, Brianne Jenner, Laura Stacey, Emily Clark, Emma Maltais and Sarah Fillier aren't going anywhere. Spooner and Maltais were a pair of standouts at the Rivalry Series and will certainly start with increased roles at Worlds. Jamie Lee Rattray has continued to produce for Canada despite seeing limited ice time, and given her versatility should remain in the mix. If there's one player whose roster spot may be in jeopardy up front, it's likely Kristen O'Neill, who has provided versatility to Canada for years, but has not produced. Looking at the group of incoming players, Danielle Serdachny has earned the opportunity for a bigger role at the Worlds, and it would be difficult to keep Julia Gosling out of the lineup given her play as well. Gosling and Serdachny are solid additions, but is it to change Canada's luck against USA. Don't let the Rivalry Series fool you, when USA has their NCAA contingent on board, they're still the team to beat. With a month of play before rosters need to be finalized, could Maggie Connors outplay one of those veteran national team members, or Jessie Eldridge, Sophie Shirley, or Loren Gabel? Perhaps Canada liked the spark that Anne Cherkowski provided in the Ontario Rivalry Series stops enough to insert her to the final roster. Canada hasn't done a good job of bringing along youth via the Rivalry Series compared to the USA. It would have been wise to give auditions to another group of youth, whether it's St. Lawrence's Abby Hustler, Colgate's Emma Pais, or Brown's Jade Iginla. Canada could have even allowed Caitlin Kraemer to get some protected opportunities. Right now it's a roll of the dice between Shirley, O'Neill, Connors, and Cherkowski to claim Canada's final roster spot up front.
Defence
On the backend, don't expect Tory Ryan to break with Jocelyne Larocque, Renata Fast, Erin Ambrose, and Ella Shelton as the top four. It would be hard to argue with Ashton Bell as a mobile, offensively capable replacement to Claire Thompson, but that means either Jaime Bourbonnais or Micah Zandee-Hart could find themelves as a seventh defender, or off the roster altogether. Bourbonnais saw her time slide as the Rivalry Series continued in favor of Jessica DiGirolamo and Clarkson's Nicole Gosling. Gosling looked rock solid in her Rivalry Series appearances and only got better each time she stopped on the ice. The announcement of Chloe Primerano fast tracking to the NCAA a year early should excite Canadian fans. She's skilled enough to play for Canada now, and if not this year, next year she's a player who needs to be on Team Canada's senior national team. Jocelyne Larocque has certainly been showing signs of slowing down and fallibility, and a succession plan needs to begin.
Goaltending
Ann-Renee Desbiens will be counted upon again this year for Canada, but it's not as much of a lock as it used to be. Emerance Maschmeyer has been solid, but not spectacular for PWHL Ottawa, although her stats could read as closer to spectacular if not for some unfortunate circumstances for Ottawa. She turned that around with a stellar shutout in game six of the Rivalry Series, which was likely enough to retain her position as Canada's #2. Corinne Schroeder, however, has been the best Canadian netminder in the PWHL, but strangely, Canada did not use the Rivalry Series to give her a chance to show what she's capable of. In the long run, Canada's unwillingness to try new things, or give opportunities to new players, could backfire. When Troy Ryan and Gina Kingsbury didn't bring Kristen Campbell to the final Rivalry Series stop, we actually saw a bump in the calibre of Campbell's play. Perhaps the added pressure was enough, but she'll need to put up a convincing stretch to take Canada's third spot back. It will be interesting to see if PWHL thoughts play in for Ryan and Kingsbury when it comes to players like Campbell, Connors, and Victoria Bach.