Canada's National Women's Team unveils Olympic centralization roster

The road to PyeongChang will run through Calgary, with 28 women competing for 23 Olympic spots.

CALGARY, Alta. – Canada’s National Women’s Team has announced the 28 players that will be centralized in Calgary throughout the 2017-18 season in preparation for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

The centralization roster includes three goaltenders, nine defencemen, and 16 forwards, and features 14 players who won gold at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. It also includes 21 players who captured silver at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Plymouth, Mich.

The 28 players that will centralize in Calgary include:

• Goaltenders: Ann-Renée Desbiens (La Malbaie, Que./University of Wisconsin, WCHA),Geneviève Lacasse (Kingston, Ont./Calgary, CWHL), Shannon Szabados (Edmonton/Fort Saskatchewan, CHL);
• Defencemen: Erin Ambrose (Keswick, Ont./Toronto, CWHL), Renata Fast (Burlington, Ont./Toronto, CWHL),Laura Fortino (Hamilton, Ont./Brampton, CWHL), Micah Hart (Saanichton, B.C./Cornell University, ECAC), Halli Krzyzaniak (Neepawa, Man./University of North Dakota, WCHA), Brigette Lacquette (Mallard, Man./Calgary, CWHL), Jocelyne Larocque (Ste. Anne, Man./Brampton, CWHL), Meaghan Mikkelson (St. Albert, Alta./Calgary, CWHL), Lauriane Rougeau (Beaconsfield, Que./Montreal, CWHL);
• Forwards: Meghan Agosta (Ruthven, Ont.),Bailey Bram (Ste. Anne, Man./Calgary, CWHL), Emily Clark (Saskatoon, Sask./University of Wisconsin, WCHA), Mélodie Daoust (Valleyfield, Que./McGill University, RSEQ), Haley Irwin (Thunder Bay, Ont./Calgary, CWHL), Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont./Calgary, CWHL), Rebecca Johnston (Sudbury, Ont./Calgary, CWHL) Sarah Nurse (Hamilton, Ont./University of Wisconsin, WCHA), Amy Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C./Pacific, JWHL), Sarah Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C./University of Minnesota, WCHA), Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./Montreal, CWHL), Jillian Saulnier (Halifax/Calgary, CWHL),Natalie Spooner (Scarborough, Ont./Toronto, CWHL),Laura Stacey (Kleinburg, Ont./Brampton, CWHL),Blayre Turnbull (Stellarton, N.S./Calgary, CWHL), Jennifer Wakefield (Pickering, Ont./Linköping HC, SWE).

The roster was selected by head coach Laura Schuler alongside Melody Davidson, Hockey Canada’s general manager of national women’s team programs, and included support from Hockey Canada regional scouts, assistant coaches Dwayne Gylywoychuk and Troy Ryan, and goaltending coach Brad Kirkwood.

“We’re looking forward to continuing our preparation for PyeongChang with this dedicated group of athletes,” said Schuler. “It was a difficult process selecting the 28 players that will vie for a spot on Canada’s Olympic roster and we’re excited to be one step closer in that journey.”

Canada’s National Women’s Team also announced that goaltenders Emerance Maschmeyer (Bruderheim, Alta./Calgary, CWHL) and Erica Howe (Orleans, Ont./Brampton, CWHL) will be available to support the centralization roster throughout the 2017-18 season but will remain with their club teams.

All 28 players named to Canada’s National Women’s Team centralization roster will begin their preparation with fitness testing in late May. Details on the location of camp will be announced next week.

The players and staff will come together in Calgary this August on a full-time basis with Hockey Canada, based out of the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park. As part of the preparation for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, the 2017-18 season will be highlighted by the 2017 4 Nations Cup and other games that will be announced at a later date.

Canada’s final 23-player roster for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games is tentatively scheduled to be determined in late December.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media onFacebook,Twitter, and Twitter.com/HC_Women.