SYDNEY, Nova Scotia – Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team won the silver medal at the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, falling 2-0 to the United States at Centre 200 on Sunday.

It is the eight silver medal in history for Canada at U18 Women’s Worlds (2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2026).

Léa-Rose Charrois (Drummondville, QC/Saint-Laurent, RSEQ D2) was stellar in the Canadian goal, making 25 saves in her fourth start of the tournament. Charrois finished the tournament with a 1.26 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage.

“[The fans] mean so much to us, especially being on home ice. Having that crowd behind us was amazing. It is disappointing that we could not win gold for them,” said Canadian captain Hayley McDonald (East St. Paul, MB/RHA Kelowna, CSSHL). “It was an honour to have the trust and reliability that my teammates and coaches put on me [as captain] and I feel that the whole leadership did a really good job.”

The Canadians outshot the Americans 38-25 and successfully killed the lone penalty against. Kendall Doiron (Boylston, NS/Shattuck-St. Mary’s, USHS) was named Canada’s player of the game. A full game summary can be found here.

“We battled right to the end. We played a full 60-minutes and that is all that we could have asked for. Even though the results were not in our favour, I think our group did well and I am super proud of them,” said Doiron. “I learned a lot as a person and as a player. Even with a silver medal, I feel like I learned a lot more this week than what is around my neck.”

Following the game, Sofia Ismael (St. George, ON/Etobicoke, OWHA U22 Elite), Adrianna Milani (Oakville, ON/Etobicoke, OWHA U22 Elite) and Megan Mossey (Charlottetown, PE/Etobicoke, OWHA U22 Elite) were named to the media all-star team. Canada finished with 52 goals for—a single-tournament team record. 

“We had opportunities, but we did not bury the puck. I think that if we got one in, it could have changed the momentum, but we gave it everything we had,” said head coach Vicky Sunohara (Scarborough, ON/University of Toronto, OUA). “[The United States] is a really good team and they worked hard for a full 60-minutes; I cannot take anything away from them. Hopefully this young group will all learn from this, but it is pretty tough right now.”

Canada secured its spot in the gold medal game by finishing the preliminary round with a perfect record, defeating Switzerland (9-0), Hungary (14-0) and Sweden (9-2) before downing Finland in the quarterfinals (12-0) and Czechia in the semifinals (8-1).

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok, and by using #U18WomensWorlds.

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (JAN. 18)

It all comes down to this. The rivalry is renewed as Canada’s National Women's Under-18 Team takes on the United States for gold at the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship at Centre 200.

Last Game

Canada advanced to the gold medal game after defeating Czechia 8-1 in its semifinal Saturday. Sofia Ismael led the offence with a goal and three assists. Rachel Piggott had a three-point performance (2-1—3), while Adrianna Milani and Maddie McCullough scored two goals apiece. Léa-Rose Charrois recorded her second assist of the tournament–the first goaltender to ever have multiple helpers in one year—and made 20 saves.

The United States earned its spot in the final with a 9-1 win over Sweden. Captain Maggie Averill and Emily Pohl recorded two goals and two assists each to spark the American attack. Talla Hansen chipped in with a goal and two helpers and Jane Daley scored to break the single-tournament record for goals (12).

Last Meeting

The cross-border rivals met in a three-game summer series in Lake Placid, New York, in mid-August. Canada opened the series with a 4-1 win before dropping the last two games to the Americans, 3-2 and 3-1. Kendall Doiron and Rosalie Tremblay led the Canadians with a goal and three points apiece in the series, and Megan Mossey added two goals.

The last U18 Women’s Worlds meeting was the gold medal game last year, when the Canadians earned their eighth world title with a 3-0 shutout win. After a scoreless first period, Caileigh Tiller scored on the power play midway through the second period and Dorothy Copetti extended the lead midway through the third. Stryker Zablocki added an empty-net goal and Marilou Grenier made 14 saves for the shutout.

What to Watch

The offence has brought Canada to the cusp of multiple Canadian tournament records. With their semifinal win, the Canadians have scored 52 goals in five games, surpassing the record set in 2008 (47) for the most at one U18 Women’s Worlds. After another two-goal performance Saturday, Milani has tied Caitlin Kraemer’s record (10 in 2023 and 2024) and Mossey is within two of Brigette Lacquette’s record for assists in a tournament (11 in 2010). Two players are chasing down Chloe Primerano’s single-tournament scoring record (16 in 2024): Ismael is one point away and Milani needs three points to equal the mark.

Daley has been simply dominant for the Americans. The Medfield, Massachusetts, product has already broken the tournament record for goals (she scored her 12th against the Swedes to surpass Haley Skarupa’s mark from 2012) and she is within two of the single-tournament points record of 19, set by Amanda Kessel in 2009. With linemate Kylie Amelkovich providing the setups (her 12 assists are one back of Kessel’s record of 13 from 2009), Daley scored hat tricks in all three preliminary-round games and added two goals against Hungary in the quarterfinals. She also has three of the United States’ power-play goals, part of the most effective PP unit in the tournament—11 goals in 21 opportunities (a 52.4% success rate).

A Look Back

This marks the 24th meeting between the Canadians and the Americans at the world championship, with Canada winning 10 of the first 23.

Canada has won every game against the United States since a 3-2 victory in the 2022 gold medal game in Wisconsin. Alexia Aubin opened the scoring early in the first period, and Ava Murphy and Jocelyn Amos added goals in the second to make it 3-0. Mari Pieterson made 10 of her 29 saves in the final frame to hold off an American push and help the Canadians to their first world title since 2019.

All-time record: United States leads 13-10 (6-4 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 51
United States goals: 62

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. CZECHIA (JAN. 17)

It’s Semifinal Saturday in Cape Breton as Canada’s National Women's Under-18 Team faces off against Czechia for a spot in the gold medal game at the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

Last Game

Canada advanced to the semifinals after blanking Finland 12-0 on Thursday. Adrianna Milani led the offence with four goals—the third four-goal game by a Canadian in tournament history. Megan Mossey recorded four assists, the eighth by a Canadian and first since 2014, and Rowan Houweling made 10 saves for her second shutout in as many starts.

Czechia earned its spot in the semifinals with a close 2-1 victory over Switzerland. The Swiss got on the board first, but Johanna Tischler tied the game midway through the second period and Tereza Gildainova scored the game-winning goal with 1:49 remaining in the third.

Last Meeting

One year after Czechia shocked Canada in the semifinals of the 2024 U18 Women’s Worlds, the Canadians got their revenge in 2025, defeating the Czechs 4-2 to advance to the gold medal game. Caileigh Tiller and Stryker Zablocki each scored once and added an assist. Marilou Grenier made 19 saves, while Chloe Primerano chipped in with two assists to become the all-time leading scorer in National Women’s Under-18 Team history.

What to Watch

Generating offence has not been an issue for Canada. The Canadians have scored 44 goals in their first four games, only three off of the record set in 2008 for the most by a Canadian team at a U18 Women’s Worlds. With two games remaining, a few single-tournament Canadian records are in reach. Milani has eight goals, putting her two away from Caitlin Kraemer’s record (10 in 2023 and 2024), Mossey is within four from Brigette Lacquette’s record for assists in a tournament (11 in 2010), and Milani and Sofia Ismael need five points to equal Primerano’s record (16 in 2024).

The Czechs have spread around the scoring in Cape Breton, with six players—Tereza Gildainova (4-1—5), Julie Jebouskova (0-5—5), Andrea Kantorova (2-3—5), Adela Mynarikova (2-3—5), Aneta Paroubkova (1-4—5) and Katerina Pencikova (1-4—5), tied for the team lead with five points. In goal, Lili Chmelarova has been terrific, posting the second-best goals-against average (2.40) and save percentage (.893) among netminders who don’t play for Canada or the United States. And don’t count out experience—six players on the Czech roster (Gildainova, Jarabkova, Jebouskova, Pankova, Paroubkova and Tischler) were part of the team that stunned the Canadians in the semifinals and won silver in 2024.

A Look Back

This marks the 11th meeting between the Canadians and Czechs and it’s the third year in the row the teams will meet in the semifinals.

The two previous matchups on Canadian ice were both one-sided wins for the home country—Marie-Philip Poulin and Natalie Spooner both scored hat tricks in an 11-2 victory at the inaugural tournament in 2008 in Calgary, and Lindsay Agnew, Kristin O’Neill and Amy Potomak led Canada with two goals apiece in an 11-0 win in 2016 in St. Catharines.

All-time record: Canada leads 9-1
Canada goals: 69
Czechia goals: 11

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. FINLAND (JAN. 15)

The action shifts to Centre 200 for quarterfinal day in Cape Breton as Canada’s National Women's Under-18 Team takes on Finland with a spot in the semifinals on the line Thursday at the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

Last Game

Canada completed a perfect preliminary round Tuesday, defeating Sweden 9-2 in Membertou. Sofia Ismael led the way with a hat trick and an assist, with Rosalie Tremblay getting the Canadians going with a pair of first-period goals. Léa-Rose Charrois made nine saves—and became the first Canadian goaltender to ever register an assist.

Finland closed its preliminary round with a 14-0 loss to the United States on Tuesday. Saimi Pesola and Pihla Ikonen made a combined 71 saves. Viola Karkkainen led the Finns in ice time, skating 23:28 against the Americans.

Last Meeting

The teams had a pre-tournament tune-up in Halifax, with Canada shutting out Finland 11-0 last Wednesday. Hayley McDonald recorded a hat trick and an assist on her birthday, while Sofia Ismael and Rachel Piggott chipped in with a goal and two assists each. Overall, eight players scored as Canada piled up 57 shots on goal, with Léa-Rose Charrois making three saves in the opening 40 minutes before Rowan Houweling entered the game to make five saves and secure the combined shutout.

The most recent tournament meeting came in the bronze medal game at the 2024 U18 Women’s Worlds in Switzerland. Chloe Primerano had two goals and an assist to close out an MVP performance, Caitlin Kraemer scored twice to become the all-time leading scorer in National Women’s Under-18 Team history and Abby Stonehouse contributed two goals of her own as Canada earned an 8-1 victory to win bronze.

What to Watch

Rosalie Tremblay has had quite the season so far. The 17-year-old is back at Stanstead College for her fifth season and recently committed to the University of Wisconsin. In November, Tremblay captained Quebec to its first-ever gold medal at the U18 Women’s National Championship, beating Team Atlantic 3-1 in the final. Tremblay led the tournament with six goals and 10 points in six games, winning Most Valuable Player honours in Newfoundland and Labrador. The forward is one of nine returning world champions to Team Canada after winning gold last year. After posting two assists in six games in Finland, Tremblay had two goals and two assists in three prelims games in Cape Breton.

Tinja Tapani and Netta Siitonen lead the Finland offence after the preliminary round—Tapani has recorded two goals, while Siitonen has a goal and an assist in three games. All but two players compete in Finland during the regular season: Katariina Junnila plays in Germany with Löwen Frankfurt and Pesola skates with the San Jose Jr. Sharks. Pesola has a 2.76 goals-against average and .907 save percentage with San Jose this season with the Sharks’ U16 AAA team.

A Look Back

This marks the 16th meeting between the Canadians and Finns, but it’s the first time they will meet in the quarterfinals.

There have been four semifinal matchups, with the Canadians holding a 4-0 record in elimination games. The last was in 2023 in Sweden, with the Canadians earning a close 3-2 overtime win. Alex Law tied the game in the middle of the third period and Ava Murphy scored the overtime winner 7:32 into extra time.

All-time record: Canada leads 14-1 (1-0 in OT)
Canada goals: 92
Finland goals: 9

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. SWEDEN (JAN. 13)

It’s a battle of two undefeated teams in Group A as Canada’s National Women's Under-18 Team closes out the preliminary round against Sweden with first place on the line Tuesday at the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

Last Game

Canada made it two wins in two games in Membertou, outshooting Hungary 74-11 in a 14-0 victory on Monday evening. Hayley McDonald and Adrianna Milani both recorded hat tricks, with McDonald adding on an assist for a four-point performance. Megan Mossey scored twice and had two helpers, and Rowan Houweling made 11 saves for her first international win and shutout.

Sweden earned its second win of the tournament with a 3-0 blanking of Switzerland on Monday. Inez Nygren scored early in the first period, with captain Ebba Westerlind and Ebba Hesselvall rounding out the scoring. Thea Holmberg made 16 saves for the shutout.

Last Meeting

Canada and Sweden last met in the gold medal game of the 2023 U18 Women’s Worlds, with the Canadians riding a five-goal first period a 10-0 win over the hosts to earn their seventh world title. Caitlin Kraemer led the way with four goals (giving her a Canadian record of 10 in the tournament), Alexia Aubin scored twice and Ava Murphy recorded three helpers. Hannah Clark made 21 saves for the shutout.

What to Watch

How about Milani and McDonald? The duo lead Canada with four goals apiece in Cape Breton, putting them in a four-way tie for second in the tournament goal-scoring race, two behind U.S. forward Jane Daley. Milani is no stranger to scoring goals, and lots of them. The Oakville product has 12 in 17 games with the Etobicoke Dolphins this season in the OWHA U22 Elite league, after scoring 35 in 36 games a year ago. McDonald, the Canadian captain, has already equalled her goal-scoring output from the 2025 U18 Women’s Worlds, and her five points put her just two back of her total from Finland.

Hesselvall is the lone Swede with multiple goals, scoring twice and adding an assist through two games, one point off her total from last year’s tournament. Westerlind is wearing the ‘C’ in Cape Breton after finishing as Sweden’s co-leader in scoring last year with a goal and six points. The Swedes also have three 15-year-olds making their debuts: defender Elsa Blarand and forwards Tilia Lindgren and Moa Stridh.

A Look Back

Canada owns a perfect record against Sweden at U18 Women’s Worlds, with 12 wins in as many meetings.

The first meeting back in 2008 was the only time Canada has played Sweden on home ice; the Canadians had a 7-1 semifinal win over Sweden in Calgary. Marie-Philip Poulin opened the scoring on the power play, Catherine White scored twice and Camille Dumais had a goal and two assists.

All-time record: Canada leads 12-0
Canada goals: 69
Sweden goals: 11

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. HUNGARY (JAN. 12)

The preliminary round continues Monday at the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship as Canada’s National Women's Under-18 Team takes on Hungary at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre.

Last Game

Canada took the ice for the first time Saturday night, shutting out Switzerland 9-0 to begin their tournament. Eight different players found the back of the net, including Alida Korte, who had two goals and an assist. Rachel Piggott scored and added two helpers, while Kendall Doiron and Laurie Aubin each recorded their first international goal. Léa-Rose Charrois made 11 saves for her first international shutout.

Hungary opened its tournament with a 4-1 loss to Sweden on Saturday. Captain Reka Hiezl scored midway through the second period to temporarily cut the deficit to one. Noemi Zoe Takacs made 30 saves in the Hungarian goal.

Last Meeting

Let’s go back all the way to 2013 for the last—and only—meeting between these teams. Canada earned a 4-1 win over Hungary in the preliminary round in Finland. Ashleigh Brykaliuk opened the scoring, Cassidy Carels got the game-winner shorthanded, and Karly Heffernan and Eden Murray rounded out the scoring as the Canadians outshot the Hungarians 39-12.

What to Watch

An alternate captain for the Canadians, Korte was plus-four in the tournament opener. A year ago in Finland, the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native got into just two games and earned a single assist as Canada won gold. It took her just 30 minutes to surpass those numbers in Cape Breton. An Ohio State University commit in the fall, Korte has recorded 30 points (16-14—30) with powerhouse RHA Kelowna in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League, second only to national team teammate Kennedy Sisson (19-16—35). Another plus-four player in the opener: Piggott. The Richmond Hill product—also a gold medal-winning returnee from 2025—has also improved on her numbers from Finland, where she posted one goal in six games. Piggott, who will play for the University of Minnesota next season, was a standout in November at the U18 Women’s National Championship, recording seven points (2-5—7) in six games for Ontario Red to finish tied for seventh in tournament scoring.

Hungary has a few players that are currently playing in North America. Hiezl attends Shattuck-St. Mary’s alongside Doiron and Canadian goaltender Rowan Houweling, and has 32 goals and 61 points in 29 games this season. Krisztina Weiler plays at the Ontario Hockey Academy in Cornwall, registering 14 goals and 32 points in 33 games with their U22 AA team. Between the pipes, Noemi Zoe Takacs is one of eight returning 2008-born veterans. In the Division 1A tournament last year, Takacs posted a 0.67 goals-against average and .969 save percentage to backstop the Hungarians to promotion.

Home Ice Advantage

Canada has hosted U18 Women’s Worlds twice before: 2008 in Calgary and 2016 in St. Catharines. So far on home ice, it has a 8-0-1-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record and has outscored the opposition 79-18, winning two silver medals.

A Look Back

As mentioned above, this marks just the second meeting between the Canadians and Hungarians.

All-time record: Canada leads 1-0
Canada goals: 4
Hungary goals: 1

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. SWITZERLAND (JAN. 10)

Canada’s National Women's Under-18 Team starts defence of its gold medal on home ice as it faces off against Switzerland to open the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre on Saturday night.

Last Game

Canada had a pre-tournament tune-up in Halifax, shutting out Finland 11-0 on Wednesday. Hayley McDonald led the way with a hat trick and an assist on her birthday, while Sofia Ismael and Rachel Piggott chipped in with a goal and two assists each. Overall, eight players scored as Canada piled up 57 shots on goal, with Léa-Rose Charrois making three saves in the opening 40 minutes before Rowan Houweling entered the game to make five saves and secure the combined shutout.

Switzerland played its lone pre-tournament game at Cape Breton University in Sydney on Tuesday night, falling 2-1 to Sweden in overtime. Jill Baker scored the lone goal for the Swiss, who were outshot 37-17.

Last Meeting

These two teams last met in the preliminary round of last year’s tournament in Finland, with Canada beating Switzerland 5-1. Dorothy Copetti led the charge with a pair of goals as the Canadians took control with a four-goal second period. Sara Manness scored and added an assist, while Maxine Cimoroni chipped in with two helpers.

What to Watch

Nine players who won gold in Finland last year are back to play for Team Canada (Ismael, Alida Korte, Anaïs Leprohon, Maddie McCullough, McDonald, Piggott, Caileigh Tiller, Rosalie Tremblay and Kate Viel), which is tied with the 2024 team for the most returnees in a single year. And the bulk of that group weren’t fringe contributors to gold a year ago in Vantaa; Tiller—who will play with her twin sister Chelsea in Cape Breton—finished tied for second in Canadian scoring with 10 points (4-6—10) and scored the game-winning goal in the gold medal game, McDonald, who will wear the ‘C’, had seven points (4-3—7) and Viel chipped in five (1-4—5) from the back end. And not to look too far ahead, but Canada could have as many as seven players back for the 2027 tournament.

Laure Meriguet is set to become the 23rd player to appear in four U18 Women’s Worlds—and the 13th from Switzerland. The defender was a minute-muncher last year, playing 25:44 a game—second-most among all players behind only teammate Sonja Inkamp—to help the Swiss to a fifth-place finish—their best-ever placement at the tournament. Meriguet recorded a goal and an assist in four games in 2025. The 17-year-old also made her IIHF Women’s World Championship debut last spring, tallying an assist in six games. And she has more international duty on tap for February—Meriguet was named to the Swiss women’s Olympic team on Wednesday.

A Pod of Dolphins

For the second year in a row, there are six members of the Etobicoke Dolphins U22 Elite team representing Canada: Ismael, McCullough, Adrianna Milani, Megan Mossey, Piggott and Maija St-Pierre. Since the inaugural U18 Women’s Worlds in 2008, no team has been represented more than Etobicoke, with 31 players on Team Canada in tournament history. This is the seventh consecutive tournament that a Dolphin has competed at the tournament (2019-2026), two off the all-time record of nine (Mississauga, 2011-2019).

A Look Back

This is only the sixth meeting between the Canadians and Swiss, and the fifth to come in the prelims. Canada is perfect through the first five, outscoring Switzerland 49-4.

The first matchup came at the 2009 tournament in Germany; Casandra Langan made history in that one, becoming the first Canadian to score four goals in a game as part of a 16-1 win. Jamie Lee Rattray added a hat trick of her own, while Jessica Wong chipped in with two goals and an assist.

All-time record: Canada leads 5-0
Canada goals: 49
Switzerland goals: 4

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has unveiled the pre-tournament schedule ahead of the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, set for Jan. 10-18 in Sydney and Membertou, Nova Scotia.

Five games will take place in four communities over three days ahead of the U18 Women’s Worlds. Slovakia and Hungary will play a pair of games on Jan. 5-6 at Canlan Sports in North York, Ontario, while the Nova Scotia portion of the pre-tournament schedule kicks off with Sweden and Switzerland facing off at the Kehoe Forum in Sydney on Jan. 6. On Jan. 7, Czechia will match up against the United States at the RBC Centre in Dartmouth, and Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team will wrap up the final day of pre-tournament action against Finland at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.

In partnership with the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Province of Nova Scotia, Hockey Canada has also announced that fans will have the chance to experience the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship through several different community initiatives, with a focus on growing and sustaining participation in women’s and girls’ hockey, as well as Indigenous engagement.

“The IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship is quickly approaching, and we are excited to unveil the pre-tournament schedule and continue to build excitement for the event before the competing teams kick off the tournament on Jan. 10,” said D’Arcy Hutcheson, director of events for Hockey Canada. “We are also thrilled that fans in the community and throughout the province will have the opportunity to get involved in the event through several impactful initiatives that will leave a lasting legacy on women’s and girls’ hockey, and the community as a whole.”

Women’s and girls’ hockey initiatives

Hockey Canada, in collaboration with Hockey Nova Scotia, will also host several development activities for women and girls in the lead up to and during the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

Coaching developments clinics will be hosted Jan. 4 in Halifax and Jan. 5 in Sydney in partnership with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which are open to Hockey Nova Scotia-registered coaches.

In collaboration with local Indigenous communities, Hockey Canada and Hockey Nova Scotia will offer an experiential opportunity to a select number of identified emerging high-performance Indigenous coaches, who will receive practical coaching experience by shadowing coaching staffs of competing teams during the pre-tournament phase.

A Signature Esso Fun Day will take place in Eskasoni First Nation on Jan. 14, in partnership with the Cape Breton Blizzard, providing new-to-hockey participants a chance to learn basic skills in a fun and positive environment at no cost to girls of all ages who are playing the game for the first time. Bauer, the official equipment provider to Team Canada, will donate equipment to participants, while National Women’s Team alumna Victoria Bach will be a special guest.

On Jan. 16, Cape Breton University will host the Equity in Coaching Conference, which features research and academic presentations, as well as presentations from Hockey Canada and the IIHF, with a keynote address from Bach.

Indigenous engagement

Hockey Canada has partnered with the Membertou First Nation to integrate Indigenous elements into all facets of the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

Through the Membertou First Nation, 1,000 tickets will be made available to local Indigenous community organizations, schools, councils and more, to provide community members the opportunity to attend games.

The players of the game will be presented with a handmade beaded mayflower, Nova Scotia’s provincial flower, designed by local Indigenous artisans Andrea Dennis and Rosalee Doucette. Additionally, a special flag designed by Kierra Marshall that represents the Membertou First Nation will be featured in all pre-game ceremonies.

There will also be a one-of-a-kind Team Canada jersey featured throughout the event that was designed in collaboration with the Membertou First Nation, Michael MacMillan of the Ability Collective and Deana Lloy of Red Label Kilts, and celebrates the Mi’kmaq community, Cape Breton’s nature and culture, and the classic tartan of Nova Scotia.

First-game program for New Canadians

Two-hundred tickets for games throughout the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship will be donated to local settlement agencies to encourage new Canadians to attend their first hockey game as a way to introduce them to the sport. Tickets will be donated to new Canadians through the Cape Breton Partnership, Cape Breton Island Centre for Immigration, YMCA Immigrant Services and the Multicultural Association of Cape Breton.

In addition, the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship will feature a clothing and toiletries drive at all Team Canada games in support of Nadine’s Comfort Closet, a program that provides students at local schools with essentials such as socks, winter attire and personal hygiene products. The event will also feature an expanded recycling and food recovery program to support sustainability in the local community.

The 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship was awarded to Sydney and Membertou in April 2025 following a successful bid between Hockey Nova Scotia, the Province of Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Membertou First Nation and Cape Breton Blizzard Female Hockey Association.

Fans looking to secure their seats and SEE THEE RISE can purchase a variety of ticket options at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

For more information on the IIHF, please visit the official tournament site, or follow the IIHF on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the 25 players who will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, Jan. 10-18 in Sydney and Membertou, Nova Scotia.

Three goaltenders, eight defence and 14 forwards were selected by Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON), senior manager of player development and scouting, along with head coach Vicky Sunohara (Scarborough, ON/University of Toronto, OUA) and assistant coaches Marc-André Côté (Montreal, QC/University of Moncton, AUS) and Amanda Benoit-Wark (Welland, ON/Ridley College, OWHA U22 Elite). Goaltending coach Sheldon Goertzen (Saskatoon, SK/University of Saskatchewan, CW) also provided input, in addition to seven regional scouts.

Included among the 25 players are nine who won gold at the 2025 U18 Women’s Worlds (Ismael, Korte, Leprohon, McCullough, McDonald, Piggott, Caileigh Tiller, Tremblay, Viel) and 21 who wore the Maple Leaf during a three-game series against the United States in August (Charrois, Doiron, Houweling, Hughson, Ismael, Jones, Korte, Leprohon, MacKinnon, Maechtel, Matt, McCullough, McDonald, Mossey, Milani, Piggott, Sisson, Caileigh Tiller, Chelsea Tiller, Tremblay, Viel).

“The coaching staff is incredibly excited to work with this committed group of young athletes. We will continue to build on the qualities we feel necessary to be successful on the international stage,” Sunohara said. “With a strong mix of returning veterans and new additions, we have a team ready to represent Canada with pride as we prepare to compete for gold on home ice.”

Canada is in Group A with Hungary, Sweden and Switzerland, while Group B includes Czechia, Finland, Slovakia and the United States. Canada opens the tournament against Switzerland on Jan. 10 at 8:30 p.m. AT and will face Hungary on Jan. 12 at 6 p.m. AT before its preliminary-round finale against Sweden on Jan. 13 at 5 p.m. AT. Prior to the tournament, Canada will gather in Halifax for a brief training camp, details of which will follow in the coming weeks.

“We are incredibly proud of all 25 athletes named to Canada’s National Under-18 Women’s Team for the upcoming world championship,” Piper said. “These players represent the immense talent in Canada and are the building blocks for Canada’s National Women’s Team. We are confident in this group’s ability to represent Canada with our goal of defending gold in Cape Breton in January.”

Canada will look capture back-to-back gold medals at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship for the first time since 2022 and 2023; it has won eight gold medals (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025), seven silver (2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020) and two bronze (2018, 2024).|

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will provide exclusive live coverage of the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, delivering all Team Canada games, in addition to both semifinals and medal games; please check local listings for details.

Fans looking to secure their seats and SEE THEE RISE can purchase medal-round ticket packages and single-game tickets at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

SYDNEY & MEMBERTOU, Nova Scotia – Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) have announced the schedule for the 2026 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship, set for Jan. 10-18 in Sydney and Membertou.

“We are excited to announce the schedule for the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship as Cape Breton prepares to welcome the world,” said D’Arcy Hutcheson, director of events with Hockey Canada. “This tournament will be a remarkable celebration of women’s hockey, and we are committed to ensuring that the impact of hosting a world championship will benefit the local communities leading up to, during and after the action on the ice.”

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team will begin defence of its 2025 gold medal against Switzerland on Jan. 10 at 8:30 p.m. AT before playing Hungary and Sweden on Jan. 12 and 13, respectively, to close out the preliminary round.

The 1,250-seat Membertou Sport & Wellness Centre will host all preliminary-round games, while playoff games, including the gold medal game set for Sunday, Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m. AT, will be played at the 5,000-seat Centre 200, home of the Cape Breton Eagles of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will provide exclusive live coverage of the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, delivering all Team Canada games in addition to both semifinals and medal games; please check local listings for details.

“With the tournament schedule now released, the excitement is really starting to build in Cape Breton and across our province,” said Leijsa Wilton, chair of Hockey Nova Scotia’s Female Council. “Fans can now start circling game dates in anticipation of this world-class women’s hockey tournament this January. We know this event will inspire the next generation of young players here in Nova Scotia.”

Fans looking to secure their seats and SEE THEE RISE can purchase medal-round ticket packages starting Sept. 18 at HockeyCanada.ca/Tickets.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the 2026 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.