22 Named To Women’s Development Team

Hockey Canada announced that 22 players were selected to Canada’s National Women’s Development Team for the 2015 Nations Cup. The event will take place in Füssen Germany Jan. 3-6, 2015 at the BLZ Arena.

The Nations Cup, formerly known as the Air Canada Cup, MLP Cup and Meco Cup, brings together Canada’s National Women’s Development Team and national teams from Finland, Germany, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland for a four-day international tournament.

The roster was chosen by Melody Davidson, Hockey Canada’s general manager of national women’s team programs, and Hockey Canada’s team of regional scouts, along with head coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk and assistant coaches Amanda Benoit-Wark and Cara Morey and goalie coach Brad Kirkwood.

The roster includes two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards. Players were selected based on their performances to date with their club teams, as well as at the Canada’s National Women’s Team Fall Festival in September, and at Canada’s National Women’s Development Team selection camp and three-game series against the United States in August.

In addition, fitness testing conducted at Canada’s National Women’s Development Team conditioning camp held in Toronto, Ont., in May was also used to evaluate the selected players.

Other past performances within Canada’s National Women’s Program, with their provincial and regional programs, as well as with their respective club teams such as Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) were used in the selection.

Before the start of the 2015 Nations Cup, Canada’s National Women’s Development Team will play three exhibition games, facing Hungary (Dec. 30) and Austria (Dec. 31) as part of its pre-tournament camp in St. Pölten, Austria, before taking on Germany in Füssen on Jan. 2.

Canada’s National Women’s Development Team roster for the 2015 Nations Cup includes:

• 10 players who competed for Canada in a three-game series against the United States in August in Calgary (Bach, Capizzano, Desbiens, Dubois, Dufault, Fast, Lefort,  MacAulay, Nurse, Stacey);

• six players who won a gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team at the 2013 Meco Cup in Füssen, Germany (Cudmore, Davis, Edney, Lefort, Stacey, Terry);

• three players who won a gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship in Heinola, Finland (Capizzano, Dubois, Nurse);

• one player who won a gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship in Budapest, Hungary (Bach).

Canada’s National Women’s Development Team’s roster, by province:

• Ontario – 12 (Bach, Capizzano, Cudmore, Doyle, Edney, Fast, Howe, Kohler, Nurse, Stacey, Terry, Warren)
• Quebec – four (Desbiens, Dubois, Lefort, Poudrier)
• Manitoba – two (Bram, Dufault)
• British Columbia – one (Fratkin)
• Nova Scotia – one (Wong)
• Prince Edward Island – one (MacAulay)
• Newfoundland & Labrador – one (Davis)

Canada is a nine-time gold medallist at the Nations Cup, winning gold in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013. Canada finished with the bronze medal at the 2012 Meco Cup.

Thanks to Hockey Canada for the info.