Happy Hockey Friday to all! Reid Lemker here from The Ice Garden to welcome you into the weekend and review some of this week’s news from the hockey world.
Earlier this week, Hockey Canada made some noise when they announced their 25-player roster for the upcoming World Championships in November. In a somewhat surprising twist, Canada has turned to several new faces; seven players will make their national team debut at this year’s World Championship tournament.
Before Canada plays two pre-tournament games against the United States next week, let’s meet the new faces who will try to bring home the gold for Team Canada.
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Kendall Cooper (Defender, PWHL Las Vegas)
Kendall Cooper had a fantastic rookie season with the Minnesota Frost. The Frost selected Cooper sixth overall in the 2025 PWHL Draft, and Cooper led all defenders in assists (17) last season. She led all Minnesota Frost defenders with 19 points, which tied Hayley Winn and Nicole Gosling for most points by a rookie defender.
Though Cooper created plenty of offense for the Frost last season, she didn’t sacrifice defense to do it. She finished the regular season with a plus-9 rating, second only to Nicole Gosling among rookie defenders. Cooper can contribute in all situations for this Canada team.
Caitlin Kraemer (Forward, University of Minnesota Duluth)
Caitlin Kraemer has been a consistent offensive threat for UMD over the past two seasons. She’s scored 30 or more points in her two full seasons with the Bulldogs. This season, her third with UMD, Kraemer has tallied seven goals and nine points in six games.
However, Kraemer brings more than just offense to the Canada lineup. She’s also a responsible two-way center. Kraemer is particularly good in the face-off dot; she’s won 56% of her face-offs in her college career. She’s physical, strong on the puck and versatile enough to play in the top six or bottom six for Team Canada at the World Championships.
Rebecca Leslie (Forward, Ottawa Charge)
In her first two seasons in the PWHL, Rebecca Leslie scored three goals and 12 points in 51 games. Last season, however, Leslie nearly doubled her career PWHL point total. In the regular season, Leslie set career highs in goals (14), assists (9), and points (23) in 30 games, but she was even better in the playoffs. Leslie led the Charge in goals and points on their run to the Walter Cup Final.
Like so many players on this list, I am fascinated to see how head coach Kori Cheverie deploys Leslie. Will Cheverie play Leslie alongside her Ottawa Charge teammate Sarah Wozniewicz? Leslie and Wozniewicz played on a line together a bunch last season and were quite good for the Charge. The pair could be the basis of a similarly effective bottom-six line for Canada in this tournament.
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Sara Manness (Forward, Clarkson University)
Sara Manness has been an offensive force for Clarkson in her short time with the program. Manness led the Crusaders in scoring as a freshman last season, scoring 21 goals and 52 points in 35 games. Manness finished the year tied for sixth in scoring among all NCAA players. She was named ECAC Player of the Year last season and co-National Rookie of the Year.
Although Manness is a skilled offensive player, I’m not sure what her role will look like on this team. Canada has plenty of similarly talented offensive players who have more senior experience than Manness. She is only 19, and I think getting some experience with the senior national team while playing a smaller role wouldn’t be the end of the world for Manness in this tournament.
Hayley McDonald (Forward, Ohio State University)
In my opinion, Hayley McDonald may be the most surprising name on the Team Canada roster. The 18-year-old captained Team Canada at the U18 World Championships last January. McDonald scored six goals and nine points in six games in that tournament, and Canada took home a silver medal.
This season, McDonald has begun her college career at Ohio State University. McDonald is off to a bit of a slow start with the Buckeyes; she’s tallied just one assist through six games. McDonald’s inclusion on this team certainly feels like it was done with one eye on the future. I’m not sure how much of an impact McDonald will make at this year’s tournament, but she’ll gain valuable experience.
Rosalie Tremblay (Forward, University of Wisconsin)
When Rosalie Tremblay suits up for Team Canada in this tournament, she’ll be the youngest player to do so since Marie-Philip Poulin back in 2009. Tremblay is off to a fantastic start in her first season with the Badgers. She’s scored six goals and nine points in her first six games, including a four-goal performance last weekend against Minnesota State Mankato.
It will be fascinating to see how much the coaching staff puts on Tremblay’s plate during her first World Championship. Though she just turned 18 in September, Tremblay is a dynamic offensive forward. Her offensive output in her first six games at Wisconsin indicates that scoring at the NCAA level shouldn’t be an issue. That said, playing center at a World Championship at 18 years old is another step up.
Sarah Wozniewicz (Forward, Ottawa Charge)
Sarah Wozniewicz doesn’t have quite the offensive pedigree of some of the other players on this list. Wozniewicz topped out at 21 points in 41 games in her senior year at Wisconsin. However, she was one of the best rookie forwards in the PWHL last season. Wozniewicz scored 7 goals in her rookie season, which was tied for second-best among rookie forwards. Her 13 points were third-best among rookie forwards.
Wozniewicz is hard to play against. She is hard on pucks, creates turnovers on the forecheck, and has the skill to finish plays offensively. A bottom-six role seems like a clear fit for Wozniewicz and a place she could thrive. Her familiarity with Leslie from their time with the Charge would also seem like an obvious fit.
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The PodKaz: World Championship rosters, November uncertainty and key Week 6 series by Todd Milewski & Nicole Haase
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Soccer: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer
Tennis: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer
Basketball: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The IX Sports
Softball: Maren Angus-Coombs, @Maren-Angus, The IX Sports
Golf: Marin Dremock, @MDremock, The IX Sports
Hockey: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden
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