The upcoming PWHL season is set to kick off on November 21, while the competition to secure a spot on the Canadian Olympic women’s hockey team is already fierce. With two out of three training blocks completed in Toronto, the final block is scheduled to take place in Montreal by the end of this month.
Following the training sessions, the team will only have four games together in the Canada-U.S. Rivalry Series, with two matches each in the U.S. and Edmonton. General manager Gina Kingsbury expressed satisfaction with the level of competition among the 30 players in camp, acknowledging the tough decisions ahead to finalize the 23-player roster for the Winter Olympics in Italy.
Notably, a significant portion of the camp attendees are seasoned veterans who clinched Olympic gold in Beijing in 2022. However, the management faces the challenge of balancing veteran experience with emerging talents like 19-year-old Caitlin Kraemer, who has been making waves with her performance, notably surpassing Marie-Philip Poulin as the top scorer in the Canadian women’s under-18 category.
Kraemer, a standout forward from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, has impressed coaches with her skill and physical presence on the ice. Her learning experience among the senior team members has been invaluable, with a focus on emulating the confidence and professionalism displayed by the team’s established players.
As the team gears up for the Olympics, attention is also on the roster battles, particularly on the defensive end where Canada boasts a deep pool of talent. Players like Renata Fast, Ella Shelton, and Micah Zandee-Hart are among the contenders, alongside rising stars such as Sophie Jaques and Chloe Primerano, who have showcased their prowess at the international level.
With the world championship moving to November starting next year, players and leagues will need to adjust their schedules accordingly. The shift aims to align the women’s tournament with the men’s championship and NHL playoffs, potentially boosting the spotlight on women’s hockey globally. This change will not only benefit the players but also enhance the development and exposure of the sport on an international scale.