Team Canada unveils roster for upcoming women's Worlds

Hockey Canada named its 25-player roster for the women's World Championship in April on Friday.

The team is headlined by PWHL top goal-scorer and Canada's captain, Marie-Philip Poulin. The 33-year-old is set for her 13th appearance at the Worlds for Canada.

Chloe Primerano, 18, is the youngest player named to Canada's roster for a World Championship since Poulin in 2009. A standout with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Primerano is the second-youngest defender in the team's history after Cheryl Pounder. She won gold with the Canadian Under-18s in January.

Ann-Renee Desbiens, Canada's starting goaltender, was named to the roster despite exiting the Montreal Victoire's shootout loss against the Boston Fleet on March 18 due to an injury. Sarah Nurse, who's currently on the Toronto Sceptres' long-term injured reserve, was also selected.

Canada beat the United States to win gold last year.

Here's the full roster:

Forwards (14)

Three forwards will make their World Championship debuts: Jennifer Gardiner, Hannah Miller, and Daryl Watts.

Miller represented China at the 2022 Olympics, but the British Columbia-born forward is back with her home nation after submitting a request to the IIHF. China changed its selection eligibility after the 2022 Games, and Miller hasn't been selected to play for China since. She had played for five years in China before joining the Toronto Sceptres in 2023.

The 29-year-old has been a breakout star with the Sceptres this season, ranking third in PWHL scoring with 23 points in as many games.

Watts is set for her long-awaited Worlds debut. The Toronto native wasn't selected by Canada during her NCAA career despite being one of the most prolific scorers in collegiate history. She's tied for third in PWHL scoring this year with 23 points.

New York Sirens star rookie Sarah Fillier leads all Canadian players in PWHL scoring with 25 points. Gardiner, who tallied the winning goal in Game 5 of the Rivalry Series, ranks second in rookie scoring with 15 points.

Julia Gosling and Jamie Lee Rattray were dropped after featuring on last year's roster.

Defenders (8)

Canada's roster features five of the top six highest-scoring PWHL defenders this season: Renata Fast, Sophie Jaques, Claire Thompson, Ella Shelton, and Erin Ambrose.

Thompson is back with the national team after being unavailable last year while focusing on medical school studies. The 27-year-old has been superb in her return to hockey with the Minnesota Frost, producing 17 points in 25 games. Thompson holds the Olympic single-tournament scoring record for a defender.

Micah Zandee-Hart also returns to the Worlds after not being selected in 2023. The New York Sirens captain will play in her fourth World Championship.

Primerano, the only NCAA skater on Canada's roster, and Jaques make their World Championship debuts. Jaques has 18 points in 20 contests, pacing PWHL defenders in points per game. The 24-year-old is one of only two defenders to win the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in women's NCAA hockey.

Ashton Bell, Jaime Bourbonnais, and Nicole Gosling weren't named after being on last year's roster.

Goaltenders (3)

Desbiens has been exceptional with the Victoire this season, going 13-2-2 and posting a .932 save percentage in 19 games. The 30-year-old is a veteran of five World Championships and two Olympics.

Ottawa Charge netminder Emerance Maschmeyer is unavailable due to injury. Entering the fold is 21-year-old Eve Gascon, who makes her first Team Canada roster.

Gascon had a .942 SV% in 30 contests this year at Minnesota-Duluth. In 2022, Gascon became the third woman to play in the QMJHL and the second to win a game.

Canada plays its first game at the Worlds on April 10 against Finland.