Edmonton to host Canadian women's hockey team's final games before Olympics

The annual Canada-U.S. women's hockey Rivalry Series will conclude with two games in Edmonton this season, Hockey Canada announced on Wednesday.

The games, set for Dec. 10 and 13, will be the final tune-up ahead of the Olympics in Italy in February, when the Canadians will look to defend the Olympic gold medal won in Beijing in 2022.

"These two games are a special moment for everyone involved and our players cannot wait to be in front of our home crowd, offering fans — particularly the younger generation — a chance to cheer their hockey heroes in person," Canadian GM Gina Kingsbury said in a statement.

In the past, Canadian Olympic hopefuls spent months "centralized" in one location, living together and competing against one another for a spot on the team.

That's changed this season, as players will also be balancing a full season in the PWHL, which will open training camps in November.

This time around, the Canadian team will only be able to get together at the four Rivalry Series games and during three national-team training blocks. The first block took place in August and September in Calgary, and the second block is set to begin in Toronto next week.

The final training block, which begins in Montreal at the end of October, culminates with the first leg of the Rivalry Series. The United States will host those two games in Cleveland on Nov. 6 and Buffalo on Nov. 8.

Canada won last season's five-game Rivalry Series in the fifth and deciding game, but lost to the United States in overtime in the final at April's world championship.

The PWHL has become the most important evaluation tool for Hockey Canada as it builds the Olympic team, and has forced major change in the way the team trains and prepares for the Games.

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