Team-By-Team Preview: Canadian U-18 National Championships

Canada's U-18 national championships get underway this month featuring some of the best players from across the country. Here's a team-by-team preview.

The Canadian U-18 National Championships get underway this week in Dawson Creek, British Columbia from November 5-12.

Here's a team-by-team preview including players to watch for each roster:

Team Ontario Red

Few teams will want to face this roster, and opposing defenders and goaltenders won't be given a single second off. From Canada's U-18 national team up front, Ontario Red features Caitlin Kraemer, Abby Stonehouse, Reese Logan, Claire Murdoch, Maxime Cimoroni, Jessie Pellerin, and Mackenzie Alexander. Then you can add Emma Venusio and Jessica Cheung on the blueline and Hannah Clark in net from Team Canada, and you see why this roster is loaded and will be hard to beat. Not only is this group present, but many of the remaining roster were at Canada's summer showcase camp including Dorothy Copetti, Sydney Sawyer, Sadie Hotles, Kaileigh Quigg, Grace Outwater. This will be the team to beat.

Team Manitoba

There are a few standouts on Team Manitoba that will make them a more difficult team to play against than recent championships. Sara Manness is perhaps the top player in Canada's best league, the OWHL U-22 Elite, playing for the Burlington Barracudas. She's scoring at close to three points per game after moving from Balmoral Hall last year, and looked strong playing for Canada's U-18 national team this summer at the Select Series against USA and Finland. Manness is headed to the University of Minnesota and will be the key piece to Manitoba's attack. The event will be an opportunity for 2008 born forward Hayley MacDonald to showcase her skills against top competition as well. She has good speed, and is tenacious on the puck playing for Balmoral Hall. On the blueline, another member of Canada's national team this summer who is already playing NCAA hockey at Colgate, scoring twice early in the season, will play key minutes anchoring her province. She'll be joined on the blueline by Kate Manness, Sara's sister who also plays for Burlington and will head to Minnesota at the NCAA level.

Team British Columbia

The host province is going to be a force to reckon with as they look to repeat as national champions. They'll rely heavily on RINK Kelowna athletes with seven making BC's roster. Chloe Primerano will be the most watched player at the tournament as she's considered Canada's top prospect. She's likely to drive offense from BC's back end alongside her RINK teammate, and Team Canada partner Gracie Graham. Up front, another Team Canada standout Morgan Jackson and Cornell commit London McDavid will take key roles in powering the attack. RINK's Kennedy Sisson, a 2008 born standout and Delta Academy's Molly Cole are other players to watch up front. In net, BC will have Clara Juca back in net. She's currently playing for the OWHL's top team, the Etobicoke Dolphins, after helping the Fraser Valley Rush to two consecutive Esso Cup appearances.

Team Ontario Blue

There will be some firepower to deal with from Team Ontario Blue, but this is certainly the weaker of Ontario's two entries...on paper. That said, the players on this roster will all be NCAA bound and some will eventually represent Team Canada, so they can never be counted out. Riley Sorokan, Madison Burr, Peyton Anzivino, Molly Farace, Rylan Haslam, and Jenna Smellie are a talented core of forwards who will push opposing defenders game in and game out, shift in and shift out. The strength of Team Ontario Blue will be represented by the depth of the OWHL, a league stocked with talent.

Team Saskatchewan

The core of the Regina Rebels will also serve as the core of Team Saskatchewan. Stryker Zablocki, a Team Canada standout from the summer select series, and a Northeastern commit, is leading the province in scoring and will give defenders on opposing teams all they can handle. She plays with speed, and executes skilled moves while in full flight. She'll have the support of RHA Kelowna standout Sage Babey, who is committed to play for Merrimack next season, and the Saskatoon Stars duo of Ireland Stein and Kolbee Ashe who are both RIT commits. On the blueline, Regina defender Brooklyn Nimegeers, a Princeton commit, will be counted on to hold down the fort for Saskatchewan. She nearly made Canada's U-18 roster this summer, and plays a physical, puck moving game.

Team Alberta

Alberta might be underpowered in the tournament, but they still have a group of intriguing players. Up front, Chloe Goofers will be counted upon to generate offense, while Quinnipiac commit Makayla Watson, who plays for RHA Kelowna is the team's top all around player. They were the only players from Alberta to attend Canada's U-18 selection camp. Taya Christie is the top netminder in Alberta's 'AAA' women's league playing for Red Deer. She'll be backed up by one of the few 2009 born players in the tournament in Alyssa Barrette. RHA Kelowna forwards Raedyn Spademan, Emilia McDermid, and Jordan Blouin will provide depth to their attack. It was interesting to see Alberta leave 2007 born forward Shannon Pearson off the roster, particularly given their forward depth compared to other rosters.

Team Atlantic

Rhyah Stewart backstopped Team Nova Scotia to a historic silver medal last year, and will be there again to provide stability to Team Atlantic at the 2023 tournament. She's committed to play NCAA hockey for Wisconsin, and this preseason won a game with Cape Breton in the QMJHL, and continues to play boys' 'AAA' hockey at the U-18 level. Up front, Canadian U-18 Select Series standout Jessica MacKinnon will lead the way, but shockingly, Team Atlantic left the Maritime's leading scorer, and top player Kendall Doiron of the Northern Selects off the roster. She was the key to Northern's appearance in the Esso Cup last season and would have been a top line threat for Team Atlantic. Next in the Maritime league's scoring are Isabelle Michaud of the Western Flames, and Northern Selects forward Brooke Williams who will both play for Team Atlantic. Leah Wicks, who plays with Shattuck St. Mary's, will be the top defender on the roster. Ava Wood and Claire Sanford will be contributors who both moved to the OWHL to play with the Oakville Hornets this year, while 2009 born defender Megan Mossey is a name to watch.

Team Quebec

There's a lot to like on Quebec's roster. From sisters Maxime Tremblay and Rosalie Tremblay, and Loelie Lachepelle and Emma Beauchamp up front. On the blueline Rosalie Breton, a Team Canada member alongside Beauchamp and Maxime Tremblay will be key for Quebec, as will big Standstead College defender Maelie Pion and John Abbott College blueliner Clara-Mai Van Houtte-Cachero. In net, Canadian U-18 member Marilou Grenier will be tough to beat. The most glaring omission from Quebec's roster is Lac St-Louis standout Sienna D'Allesandro, but Quebec has the talent and depth to contend in this tournament if their chemistry comes together.