Canada and the United States renew historic rivalry with top PWHL talents
TORONTO, ON (November 8, 2023) – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is well represented as the top two countries in women’s hockey prepare for the 2023-24 Rivalry Series. A total of 36 PWHL players – 21 on Canada’s National Women’s Team and 15 on the U.S. National Women’s Team – are listed on rosters for the first two games, which are scheduled for Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. MT / 9:30 p.m. ET in Tempe, Arizona, and Nov. 11 at 1:00 p.m. PT / 4:00 p.m. ET in Los Angeles, California. The games will be broadcast on TSN in Canada and NHL Network in the United States.
“Some of the best moments in hockey history stem from the fierce rivalry between Canada and the United States, with the Rivalry Series providing a great opportunity for players to represent their countries and gain valuable international experience,” said Jayna Hefford, Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations. “We’re excited for the next chapter of the rivalry to begin, and for fans to see the world-class women’s hockey talent that will hit the ice in the PWHL this season.”
The U.S. roster features 13 PWHL players who won a gold medal at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship including captain Hilary Knight (Boston), first overall PWHL Draft pick Taylor Heise (Minnesota), and fifth overall pick Savannah Harmon (Ottawa). 16 PWHL players were part of Canada’s silver medal squad including captain Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal), second overall pick Jocelyne Larocque (Toronto), fourth overall pick Ella Shelton (New York), and sixth overall pick Erin Ambrose (Montreal). Three Canadian players are slated to make their Senior National Team debut including Jessica DiGirolamo (Boston), Sophie Jaques (Boston), and Corinne Schroeder (New York).
Ottawa leads all PWHL teams with eight players on 2023-24 Rivalry Series rosters, followed by New York with seven players, Boston and Toronto both with six, Minnesota with five, and Montreal has four players competing.
Additional games of the Rivalry Series will be played in Kitchener and Sarnia, Ontario in December, while the final three games of the series will be played in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan and St. Paul, Minnesota, in February. In 21 games since the inception of the Rivalry Series in 2018-19, Canada holds an 11-10 record in the series.
36 PWHL PLAYERS IN 2023-24 RIVALRY SERIES
PWHL BOSTON:
Canada (3)
Jessica DiGirolamo (D)
Sophie Jaques (D)
Jamie Lee Rattray (F)^
United States (3)
Aerin Frankel (G)*
Megan Keller (D)*
Hilary Knight (F)*
PWHL MINNESOTA:
United States (5)
Natalie Buchbinder (D)
Taylor Heise (F)*
Nicole Hensley (G)*
Kelly Pannek (F)*
Grace Zumwinkle (F)
PWHL MONTREAL:
Canada (4)
Erin Ambrose (D)^
Kristin O’Neill (F) ^
Marie-Philip Poulin (F)^
Laura Stacey (F)^
PWHL NEW YORK:
Canada (4)
Jaime Bourbonnais (D)^
Jessie Eldridge (F)
Corinne Schroeder (G)
Ella Shelton (D)^
United States (3)
Alex Carpenter (F)*
Abbey Levy (G)*
Abby Roque (F)*
PWHL OTTAWA:
Canada (4)
Ashton Bell (D)
Emily Clark (F)^
Brianne Jenner (F)^
Emerance Maschmeyer (G)^
United States (4)
Becca Gilmore (F)*
Savannah Harmon (D)*
Gabbie Hughes (F)*
Hayley Scamurra (F)*
PWHL TORONTO:
Canada (6)
Renata Fast (D)^
Kristen Campbell (G)^
Jocelyne Larocque (D)^
Emma Maltais (F)^
Sarah Nurse (F)^
Blayre Turnbull (F)^
*2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship Gold
^2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship Silver
Fans can stay connected to the PWHL, register for email updates, and secure their spot in line for buying tickets by placing a deposit at thepwhl.com.
Follow the new league on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial plus all six team accounts @pwhl_boston, @pwhl_minnesota, @pwhl_montreal, @pwhl_newyork, @pwhl_ottawa, and @pwhl_toronto.
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