The Okanagan Hockey Selects are playing Canada’s National Women’s team twice next week.
The national squad is opening its pre-International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship camp in Penticton March 19-25 at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
On Monday, Canada will hit the ice for its first of two pre-competition games against the OHA Selects at 5:15 p.m. then again on March 23 at 7:30 p.m. All games and practices are free and open to the public. Their first practice Saturday is at 1:15 to 3:30 p.m., then on Sunday it is at 10 to 11:30 a.m. On March 22, they practice at 2 to 3:30 p.m. and again on March 23 at 10 to 10:45 p.m. Their final practice is March 25 at 10 to 11 a.m.
Canada is playing host to the eight-team world championship hosted in Kamloops, B.C., from March 28-April 4, 2016. Team Canada will face-off against Sweden in a pre-tournament game on March 26 and opens the 2016 IIHF Women’s World Championship against the United States on March 28; it will also face Russia (March 29) and Finland (March 31) in preliminary-round action. Both the bronze- and gold-medal games will be played April 4. A complete tournament scheduleand information on how to purchase pre-tournament game and tournament tickets can be found on the Hockey Canada website.
"This camp will provide a solid measuring stick for where our team sits heading into the competition," said Laura Schuler, head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team. "It gives us a great opportunity to build team chemistry and come together as a group as we prepare for the upcoming world championship on home ice.”
Canada’s roster includes three goaltenders, seven defensemen, and 13 forwards. It features 17 returning players from Canada’s 2015 world championship squad that won silver in Malmö, Sweden, along with 16 returnees from Canada’s 2015 4 Nations Cup team, and two players that will make their first appearance on the world championship stage.