Manitobans return to help Canada defend women’s hockey crown
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A pair of Manitobans will suit up for Canada at the upcoming 2023 Women’s World Hockey Championship in Brampton, Ont.
Veteran defenceman Jocelyne Larocque of Ste. Anne and goaltender Kristen Campbell of Brandon cracked the national team’s 23-player roster for next month’s tournament.
Both were a part of Canada’s gold medal-winning squad at the 2022 championship in Denmark last August. In all, 18 players selected to the roster were part of Canada’s championship team last year.
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Team Canada Women’s hockey Jocelyne Larocque of Ste. Anne, Manitoba
All players except forward Danielle Serdachny, 21, have appeared in a world championship before.
Sarah Fillier, who led Canada with 11 points last year in Denmark, is among the forwards that will help Canada seek a third consecutive title.
The other returnees from the 2022 tournament are: defender Erin Ambrose; forward Emily Clark; goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens; defender Renata Fast; forward Brianne Jenner; forward Emma Maltais; goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer; forward Sarah Nurse; forward Kristin O’Neill; forward Jamie Lee Rattray; defender Ella Shelton; forward Laura Stacey; forward Blayre Turnbull; and defender Micah Zandee-Hart.
Forwards Rebecca Johnston and Natalie Spooner and defenders Claire Thompson and Jaime Bourbonnais round out the roster.
Canada has defeated the arch-rival United States in the last two world championship finals, with a 3-2 overtime win in Calgary in 2021 and 2-1 victory last year in Herning and Frederikshavn, Denmark.
Canada also downed the U.S. 3-2 in the 2022 Olympic final as part of what has been an impressive run by the women’s national team.
The 10-team tournament features Canada in Group A with Czechia, Japan, Switzerland and the United States, while Group B has Finland, France, Germany, Hungary and Sweden.
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Team Canada Women’s hockey Kristen Campbell of Brandon, Manitoba
Canada will open against Switzerland on April 5.
“Our staff had some very difficult decisions selecting this roster and that speaks to the depth that we have within our program,” said head coach Troy Ryan in a statement. “We are confident that we have assembled a talented roster with a great deal of character and leadership. Our entire staff is excited to have the opportunity to work with each of these athletes as we begin this journey toward a World Championship.”
— staff / the Canadian Press
