Poulin leads veteran Canada team at women’s hockey championships

Star captain Marie-Philip Poulin will lead a veteran Canadian team at the 2024 women’s world hockey championship.

Poulin was one of 23 players named to Canada’s roster Thursday by Hockey Canada for the tournament April 3-14 in Utica, N.Y.

Canada’s team includes 20 players who were on the squad that lost 6-3 to the United States in the final of the 2023 championship in Brampton, Ont. The loss ended a run of two straight gold medals for the Canadians.

Poulin also captains Montreal in the Professional Women’s Hockey League and shared the league scoring lead with 17 points heading into a game Friday at Toronto.

Toronto forward Natalie Spooner, who leads the PWHL with 12 goals, was also named to Canada’s team, as was Sarah Fillier, the MVP of the 2023 world championship.

Defender Micah Zandee-Hart, who made her senior team debut in 2016, was not named to the roster. She made her PWHL debut with New York on Jan. 20 after missing several months of action due to injury.

Canada, which has won 12 gold medals over 22 world championships, opens the 2024 tournament April 4 against Switzerland.

Goaltenders: Kristen Campbell, Brandon, Man., Toronto (PWHL);

Ann-Renee Desbiens, Clermont, Que., Montreal (PWHL); Emerance Maschmeyer, Bruderheim, Alta., Ottawa (PWHL); Corinne Schroeder, Elm Creek, Man., New York (PWHL).

Defenders: Erin Ambrose, Keswick, Ont., Montreal (PWHL);

Ashton Bell, Deloraine, Man., Ottawa (PWHL); Jaime Bourbonnais, Mississauga, Ont., New York (PWHL);

Renata Fast, Burlington, Ont., Toronto (PWHL); Nicole Gosling, London, Ont., Clarkson (NCAA);

Jocelyne Larocque, Ste. Anne, Man., Toronto (PWHL); Ella Shelton, Ingersoll, Ont., New York (PWHL)

Forwards: Emily Clark, Saskatoon, Ottawa (PWHL); Sarah Fillier, Georgetown, Ont., Princeton (NCAA); Julia Gosling, London,

Ont., St. Lawrence (NCAA); Brianne Jenner, Oakville, Ont., Ottawa (PWHL); Emma Maltais, Burlington, Ont., Toronto (PWHL); Sarah Nurse, Hamilton, Toronto (PWHL); Kristin O’Neill, Oakville, Montreal (PWHL);

Marie-Philip Poulin, Beauceville, Que., Montreal (PWHL); Jamie Lee Rattray, Ottawa, Boston (PWHL);

Danielle Serdachny, Edmonton, Colgate (NCAA); Natalie Spooner, Toronto, PWHPA; Laura Stacey, Kleinburg, Ont., Montreal (PWHL);

Blayre Turnbull, Stellarton, N.S., Toronto (PWHL)