Players vying for spots on the Canadian women’s Olympic hockey team will use the upcoming Rivalry Series matches against the United States to solidify their positions.
The games scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday in Edmonton, airing at 9 p.m. ET on TSN, serve as the final preparations for Team Canada before the Olympics in February.
This week’s matches provide head coach Troy Ryan and his team the last chance to make adjustments and try different strategies before the actual competition.
General manager Gina Kingsbury emphasized the importance of these games, stating, “These last two games are crucial in our preparations with the Milano Cortina Games less than 70 days away. We are confident we have built a group that will give us a chance to be successful as we finish off the series in front of our fans and a hometown crowd.”
In the initial two games, Canada was outperformed and outscored 10-2 by the United States.
Host Karissa Donkin is joined by TSN hockey analyst Cheryl Pounder to break down what’s on the line for Canada at the last two games of the Rivalry Series.
However, the Canadian roster will see changes in Edmonton.
Emerging players Kayle Osborne and Ève Gascon, who started in net during the November games, will be replaced by veterans Ann-Renée Desbiens and Emerance Maschmeyer for the upcoming matches.
Additional experienced players returning to the team include Brianne Jenner, Jocelyne Larocque, and Emily Clark.
On the flip side, some players from the November squad, such as Gascon, Micah Zandee-Hart, Kati Tabin, and Hannah Miller, will not be part of the Edmonton lineup.
