The Canadian Women’s National team have announced the 48 players they have invited to Thorold, Ontario to participate in the teams camp.
Amongst those players are 13 that are on PWHL Toronto’s roster for the 2024-2025 season along with one player who has been invited to the teams training camp.
The names that you would expect like Sarah Nurse, Blayre Turnbull, Renata Fast and Jocelyne Larocque will continue to be staples of the program as they prepare for the Rivalry Series and the upcoming world championships in Czechia.
Related: Hockey Canada Announces 48 Players Chosen For National Team Selection Camp
Beyond them there are a couple of interesting names that PWHL fans should keep tabs on ahead of Toronto’s sophomore season.
One name that stands out to me on this list is Daryl Watts. Last season the 25-year-old had a breakout season with Ottawa, becoming one of the team's top weapons. In 24 games last season she scored a team high 10 goals and totalled 17 points.
With Watts joining her hometown team in free agency this summer , it will be interesting to see where head coach Troy Ryan plays her during camp. This is especially the case with the likes of Natalie Spooner not participating due to the injury she suffered in Toronto’s first round playoff series in May.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Watts make a case for her spot on the Rivalry roster if she can turn some heads at camp and continue to perform with Toronto.
The last time Watts represented Canada was back in 2017 on the U-18 women's World Championship team that won the silver medal, scoring two goals in four games.
Next week's camp will be a great opportunity for Toronto fans to get a glimpse of some of the teams most recent draft picks from this past June. The likes of 23-year-old blue liner Megan Carter and 23-year-old goaltender Raygan Kirk will suit up with the hope of impressing the national team staff.
Both of these players have Team Canada pedigree as they were teammates on Canada’s U-18 World Championship team that won gold in 2020.
Kirk was selected by Toronto with their final selection of the draft in the seventh round. The Buckeyes product had a productive college career starting 24 games last season while posting a .945 save percentage and just 1.05 goals against average.
Kirk will look to fill in as Toronto’s backup this season after Erica Howe announced her retirement from hockey this summer and have an opportunity to compete against her the reigning PWHL Goaltender of the Year, Kristen Campbell .
Carter, Toronto’s second round pick in this year's draft is coming off of captaining the Northeastern Huskies. In 34 games with Northeastern last season she scored 25 points and lead all players in ice time. The Milton, Ontario native will look to figure into Toronto’s top four this season and add some stability to Toronto’s middle pair.
“When you socially meet her, she just comes across as very confident, mature, and beyond her years as a player,” said Troy Ryan. I think she knows what makes her successful. She's physical, she's not high end flash, but takes the time to make plays and has a great shot from the point that she isn’t afraid to use.”
It’s unlikely that either Kirk or Carter represent Canada this time around given the wealth of veteran talent in Canada’s ranks. That being said, their invitation shows that Hockey Canada sees them as players that will be critical components to the future of the program and will be key pieces of Toronto’s roster this season as they try to improve on last season's first round exit.
Some honorable mentions go out to Emma Woods who will be making her first appearance at a national team camp and Maggie Connors who saw her first national team call up during the Rivalry Series games in February. Both will be looking to battle for a spot on Canada’s fourth line heading into the 2024-2025 international calendar. Also in attendance will be defender Rylind MacKinnon, who will attend Toronto's training camp as a free agent invite.
View the original article to see embedded media.
Most Popular
Comments / 0