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CBC
16-04-2025
- Sport
- CBC
All-Montreal Victoire line in the spotlight for Canada at women's hockey worlds
It took only six minutes into the first period of Canada's first preliminary-round game at the women's world championship for the first line to strike. The rookie, Jennifer Gardiner, scored her first career world-championship goal against Finland, thanks in part to a secondary assist from her linemate and captain, Marie-Philip Poulin. Veteran forward Laura Stacey completes the all-Montreal Victoire first line, which has been Canada's best so far after four games. Gardiner and Stacey have each recorded five points, while Poulin leads all forwards at the tournament with eight points. They'll take on Japan in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET in České Budějovice, the Czech Republic city hosting this year's tournament. "They're a fun line to watch, not a fun line to play against," Boston Fleet forward Jill Saulnier, who won Olympic gold alongside Stacey and Poulin in 2022, told CBC Sports' Hockey North this week. "They're obviously pretty skilled, a pretty deep group. Great people. It always comes back to that." While the main goal at the tournament is win a world championship for a second consecutive year, it's also the last chance to test potential line combinations in a tournament format ahead of the Olympics next February. Twenty five players are wearing the red and white in the Czech Republic, but only 23 will go to Italy for the Olympics. But it was hard to ignore the magic between Gardiner, Poulin and Stacey when the trio have played together for the PWHL-leading Victoire. Poulin leads the Victoire in points (23) followed by Stacey (20) and Gardiner (16). "They have a little bit of everything," Canadian head coach Troy Ryan told The Canadian Press last week. "Stacy and Pou are going to have some just natural chemistry, Stacey [is] someone who will be first on pucks ... likes to take pucks below the goal line. Pou, the way she thinks the game is next level, can finish as good as anybody. Gardiner is a good mix of a little bit energy and a little bit of youthfulness, but enough skill as well." Surrounding Poulin with her Victoire linemates also frees up Fillier to play on a skilled second line with Sarah Nurse and Daryl Watts, the Toronto Sceptres forward who has recorded two goals in her first senior national team tournament. Speed and skill Stacey has played on the national team roster with Poulin for several years, but often lined up in a bottom six, energy type of role. For a while, she was part of a third line with Emily Clark and Blayre Turnbull that could do a little bit of everything, on top of being annoying to play against. But Stacey's game has grown significantly over the last couple of years. Her foot speed, drive to the net and vision made her a standout in the final season of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association circuit in 2022-23. Then, in the PWHL, she tied for fifth in league goal scoring (with Poulin and Watts) last season while playing in all situations for Montreal. She's been a staple on the Montreal power play, but her size, reach and speed also help her thrive in a shutdown role. Stacey scored the lone goal for Canada in a 2-1 preliminary-round loss to the United States on Sunday, cashing in on her second breakaway of the game. Saulnier has played with or against Stacey for nearly two decades, beginning in junior hockey in Ontario, continuing through the Canadian Women's Hockey League and the Canadian national team, and into the PWHL Watching Stacey's progression over that time has been "outstanding" both as a teammate and as a friend — Saulnier was part of the wedding party at Poulin and Stacey's wedding last summer. "It's been an honour as a friend of hers to just watch her thrive," Saulnier said about Stacey. "That's all you want for your friends in sport is to just to see them pull out the best version of themselves, and I think that's what the world is seeing of her right now." The rookie Gardiner, meanwhile, has immediately clicked alongside Poulin in her rookie pro season. The captain has praised her young teammate's vision, speed and shot as she's watched her gain confidence and an opportunity on the national team. The 23-year-old from Surrey, B.C. was on the cusp of making last year's world-championship team, and had been identified as one of the next players up on Team Canada. "Her season and her play all season long in the PWHL showed that she's ready for the challenge of playing on the international stage," Canada's GM Gina Kingsbury told CBC Sports before the world championship began. Poulin, meanwhile, is playing in her 13th world championship and proving she's still the best player in the world, whether it's scoring goals when Canada needs them, blocking a crucial shot or winning battles along the boards. She goes into the quarterfinals just two points shy of the Canadian world championship career points record held by Hayley Wickenheiser (86), three assists away from Wickenheiser's Canadian assist record (49) and two goals from passing Jayna Hefford as the top Canadian goal scorer at the tournament (40). All of which Poulin downplayed to The Canadian Press. "I don't care about individual [records] at all," Poulin said. "I really don't care." Knowing who Poulin could play with could mean one less difficult decision for Kingsbury, Ryan and the rest of the staff to make ahead of 2026. "Just having those extra reps in practice, I feel like it helps knowing where they're going to be, what they're going to do, what they like to do, and kind of where we all excel," Stacey told The Canadian Press about Gardiner and Poulin. "If I can get the two of them the puck on the forecheck, they can put the puck in quite well." The winner between Canada and Japan will move on to the semifinals on Saturday. The gold-medal game is set for Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
PWHL star Natalie Spooner relishing 11th world championship after returning from knee surgery
Natalie Spooner had April 2025 circled on her calendar. The reigning PWHL MVP missed the beginning of this season as she recovered from off-season knee surgery, the product of an injury she sustained during the Toronto Sceptres's first-round playoff loss to Minnesota last spring. But Spooner knew she wanted to be back and up to full speed in time to help defend Canada's title as world champions. The Canadians begin play on Thursday in the Czech Republic, with Finland up first on the team's schedule. "I'm glad I'm here," Spooner said in an interview with CBC Sports's Hockey North. "I'm so excited to be here, grateful to be here and just looking forward to getting on that ice and representing my country again. It's been so much fun just to be back with the girls and this group. It's such an amazing group." It caps off a whirlwind two years for Spooner, who not only returned to play in the PWHL's inaugural season about a year after giving birth to her son, Rory, but led the league in points and goals. She was also named the International Ice Hockey Federation's Female Player of the Year. Then, she resumed play in February after recovering from ACL surgery. It didn't take long to return to her usual office: planted in front of the net, making life difficult for PWHL goalies. "We are tremendously proud of the work she has invested in getting herself to this point," Toronto GM Gina Kingsbury said when Spooner rejoined the Sceptres's lineup. "This has been a long journey, and she has shown throughout this process just how elite of an athlete she is." After more than a decade on the world stage, 34-year-old Spooner still gets excited to see the Canadian locker room, decorated to feel like home, and the ice where her team will compete. This year will be her 11th world championship, and she'll be competing alongside five teammates who will be having their first taste of the senior national team at worlds. "I think they can kind of remind us just about the excitement and the fun that comes with playing in these tournaments," Spooner said. It takes her back to the nerves and anticipation she felt back in 2011, at her first worlds in Switzerland. A year later, she won her first world championship in Vermont. After getting trounced by the Americans 9-2 in the preliminary round, Spooner and captain Hayley Wickenheiser organized some team bonding in the form of a flash mob dance in the team meal room. WATCH | Spooner previews Team Canada at the women's world championship on Hockey North: When the Canadians met the Americans again in the final, the result was much different: a 5-4 overtime championship win, thanks to a clinching goal from Caroline Ouellette. Spooner also thinks about a very different competition inside a COVID bubble in Calgary in 2021. After two cancelled tournaments, months off the ice and a lot of time spent alone inside hotel rooms, the Canadians became world champions for the first time in more than a decade. Advice from a veteran Over the years, her role on the national team has evolved. She went from playing on the fourth line as a rookie with Cherie Piper and Gillian Apps, to competing alongside Wickenheiser and Meghan Agosta at her first Olympics in 2014. At those Games in Russia, Wickenheiser told Spooner not to worry about what anyone else thinks, and to just play her game. It's advice that's always stuck with her, and it's what she'd tell her teammates who will make their worlds debut later this includes 25-year-old Daryl Watts, who Spooner expects will have a huge impact on the Canadian offence, and 18-year-old Chloe Primerano, a defender whose game is already mature enough to play with the best of the best. "Just getting to see [Primerano] in practice, I would tell her to shoot the puck to the net," Spooner said. "She's getting pucks through, and I'm around the net so that's going to work out pretty good for me." That's one thing that hasn't changed over more than a decade: her style of play. Spooner has always been hard to play against. "The good thing is I can kind of adapt to wherever they see me and whatever they want me to do," she said. "I'm going to be that player who takes pucks to the net, is good net front, which I think is pretty adaptable to any line you put me on. I can do the same job." The Canadians are looking to win a second consecutive world championship, and a third title in four years. (Evan Mitsui/CBC) Spooner and the rest of Team Canada will take on Finland at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, followed by Switzerland at 9 a.m. on Friday. The Canadians will battle the United States at 1 p.m. on Sunday before wrapping up the preliminary round against the Czech Republic on Monday at 1 p.m. The gold-medal game is set for April 20. Other storylines to watch • Finland will take on Canada without its best defender and captain. Jenni Hiirikoski was left off the roster due to illness. She played nearly 32 minutes in Finland's bronze-medal win over the Czech Republic last year. • The Czechs will host the tournament for the first time. The best female hockey players in the world have gathered in České Budějovice, a small city near the country's southern border with Austria. The Czech team, led by Ottawa Charge head coach, Carla MacLeod, will look to capitalize on a strong season by Charge forward Tereza Vanišová. She's tied with American Hilary Knight for second in PWHL goal scoring (15 goals), two behind league-leading Marie-Philip Poulin. Boston Fleet captain Hilary Knight leads the PWHL in points (28) and is tied for second in goals (15). () • Knight, the all-time leading scorer at women's worlds, is in the middle of a strong comeback season after last year's injury-impacted PWHL campaign with the Boston Fleet. She leads the PWHL in points (28) and will look to avenge an overtime loss in last year's world championship to Canada. • Knight is joined on the American roster by last year's world championship MVP, 21-year-old Laila Edwards. This time around, Edwards will be playing as a defender, as head coach John Wroblewski looks to make the best use of her shot. She's fresh off a national championship with the Wisconsin Badgers and being named a top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, which is given to the top female player in NCAA hockey.
CBC
21-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Canada unveils roster to defend women's hockey world title
Canada's roster for the women's world hockey championship has been unveiled. A squad of 25 players are tasked with defending the gold medal when the 10-day championship starts April 9 in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. Canada starts defence of its title April 10th against Finland. The team includes veterans such forwards Marie-Philip Poulin, Brianne Jenner, Sarah Nurse and defender Jocelyn Larocque, but forwards Darryl Watts and Hannah Miller and defenders Sophie Jaques and Chloe Primerano are among players who will make their world championship debuts for Canada. There are 17 returning players from the Canadian team that defeated host United 6-5 in overtime in last year's final in Utica, N.Y. The 2025 edition was selected by general manager Gia Kingsbury, head coach Troy Ryan, senior scouting and development manager Cherie Piper, assistant coaches Kori Cheverie, Caroline Ouellette and Britni Smith, as well as goaltending consultant Brad Kirwood. The International Ice Hockey Federation increased the size of women's rosters from 23 players to 25 this year to match the men's world championship, although women's Olympic rosters will remain at 23 next year in Milan-Cortina, Italy. WATCH | Projecting the 2026 Canadian women's Olympic hockey team on Hockey North: Projecting Canada's Olympic women's hockey team for Milan-Cortina 2026 1 month ago Duration 10:13 1 year out from the Winter Olympics, Anastasia Bucsis and Karissa Donkin give their take on who will make the Canadian women's Olympic hockey team. Canada is in a pool with the tournament's top five seeds including the United States, host Czechia, Finland and Switzerland. Germany, Hungary, Japan, Norway and Sweden round out the field. Eve Gascon joins Canada's goaltending trio alongside veterans Ann-Renée Desbiens and Kristen Campbell. Emerance Maschmeyer, a regular in Canada's lineup in recent years, was placed on long-term injury reserve by the PWHL's Ottawa Charge after she sustained a lower-body injury in a March 11 game. Danielle Serdachny, who scored the OT winner in last year's final, joins Laura Stacey, Natalie Spooner, Sarah Fillier, Emily Clark, Emma Maltais, Blayre Turnbull and Kristin O'Neill among returning forwards. Renata Fast, Ella Shelton, Erin Ambrose, Micah-Zandee Hart and Claire Thompson round out the defence.
