Canadian Sarah Fillier expected to play at world championship

Canadian star Sarah Fillier is expected to play at the world championship as Canada looks to reclaim gold from the United States.

Fillier left Friday's pre-tournament game against the U.S. after going into the boards awkwardly. The Canadians went on to lose that game, 4-0.

The New York Sirens forward looked to be clutching her right shoulder or arm as she exited the game. The team has described the ailment as an upper-body injury.

Canadian GM Danièle Sauvageau said Fillier is considered day to day, so it's not yet clear when she may suit up for Canada. The team's first game is against Sweden on Friday at 9 a.m. ET in Denmark.

"Things are looking good, so it's a question of day by day," Sauvageau told CBC Sports on Tuesday. "It's on a good track, a positive track."

Fillier scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in Canada's 5-3 pre-tournament win over the U.S. last Wednesday, which ended an eight-game American winning streak that dated back to February 2025.

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That she hasn't been ruled out for the tournament is a big win for the Canadians, who rely on Fillier to drive offence on the top line and first-unit power play. Sauvageau described her as a "young veteran" on an increasingly younger Team Canada.

At the Olympics, Fillier finished second in team points (six in seven games), behind Daryl Watts.

Canada also has 20-year-old Colgate University forward Alexia Aubin practising with the team in Denmark, but that is unrelated to Fillier's injury. The decision to bring Aubin as an alternate was made before Fillier was hurt.

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