New-look Canadian women's hockey team has an eye on the future

More than six long months have passed since the Canadian women's hockey team lost a heartbreaking Olympic final to the Americans.

The Canadians played their best game of the tournament, but one goal separated the red and white from a second consecutive Olympic gold medal.

It was a team that struggled to beat a younger, faster American team dating back to February 2025.

All of that is in the past now. This year's world championship, which kicks off in Denmark on Friday morning, is the start of a new Olympic cycle and marks a fresh beginning for the Canadian senior national team.

The group has new leadership, starting with Hockey Hall of Famer Danièle Sauvageau, who returns to the Hockey Canada fold as GM of the senior national team. Kori Cheverie has taken the reins as head coach, after spending the last five years as an assistant on the Canadian bench. Both guided the Montreal Victoire to a Walter Cup this past spring.

Together, they've assembled a young Canadian team aimed at reclaiming the world championship from the Americans and, perhaps more importantly, building toward going for gold at the 2030 Olympics.

There are plenty of new faces and lots of familiar faces who will be missing, too, including captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who is recovering from off-season surgery.

The Canadians played two pre-tournament games against the U.S. last week: a much-needed 5-3 win over the Americans, followed by a 4-0 loss that didn't seem remotely close.

Canadian women's hockey team loses exhibition to U.S. ahead of world championships

Here's a look at what to expect from the Canadians, who will compete in Group B alongside Sweden, Finland, Japan and host Denmark. The Americans will play in Group A, which also includes Czechia,