Current Ottawa Charge teammates will face off in this year’s women’s world hockey championship, as nine different players are set to compete in the tournament for four different countries.
Canada’s roster features four Ottawa players, including forwards Brianne Jenner, Emily Clark and Danielle Serdachny, as well as defenceman Jocelyne Larocque, while Katerina Mrazova, Tereza Vanisova and Aneta Tejralova will suit up for the host Czechs.
Charge head coach Carla MacLeod, originally from Spruce Grove, Alta., will also serve as Czechia’s head coach, a role she’s held since 2022.
Defenceman Ronja Savolainen is the lone Ottawa player on the Finnish roster, while Gwyneth Phillips is expected to be the U.S. squad’s backup goalie.
The championship, which is taking place in České Budějovice, officially got underway on Wednesday, when the U.S. took down Finland by a score of 7-1, while Czechia blanked Switzerland 3-0.
Canada’s first game will come against Finland on Thursday, while the tournament will run until April 20.
Only Canada and the U.S. have ever won gold at the worlds, with the Canadians having won 13 titles, including last year’s championship, compared to 11 wins for the Americans.
Finland is the only other country to compete in a gold medal game, after they upset Canada in 2019 and took home silver after losing to the U.S.
The tournament comes as the Charge are pushing for the final spot in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) playoffs.
Currently, Ottawa sits in fourth with a slim one-point cushion over the Minnesota Frost. The top four teams in the six-franchise league will qualify for the playoffs, while both teams still have three games left in the season.
The Charge are looking to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, as they finished fifth in last year’s inaugural season.
