PWHL, international crossover extends beyond players at women's world championship

The pipeline between the new Professional Women's Hockey League and the women's world championship extends beyond players.

Three of six PWHL head coaches are behind Canada's bench in this year's event in Utica, N.Y. Former Canadian team defender Carla MacLeod is head coach of both the Czech Repbulic and PWHL Ottawa.

Canada's general manager Gina Kingsbury wears the same hat with PWHL Toronto.

Troy Ryan, of Spryfield, N.S., is head coach of both Canada and PWHL Toronto. Kori Cheverie (PWHL Montreal) and Courtney Kessel (PWHL Boston) are his Canadian team assistants.

They say they arrived at this year's world championship with a deeper knowledge of the Canadians and opposing players because they've spent so much more time around them since the PWHL opened Jan. 1.

"There's an advantage that we have a number of coaches in the league, Kori in Montreal, Courtney in Boston," Ryan said. "There's an advantage to that just because we're seeing players on a daily basis either with us or competing against us.

"You should always be looking at it from your club team, but you're constantly evaluating situations that are going to benefit the national team as well.

"It's still such a small league that you're still getting to see everybody five or six times. You've got a lot better data sample."

WATCH | Canada blanks Switzerland on Friday to remain undefeated:

Canada (2-0) had Saturday off. It concludes Group A with back-to-back games Sunday against the Czech Republic (1-1) and Monday versus defending champion U.S. (2-0).

Another assistant coach for Ryan in Utica is Hockey Hall of Famer Carolina Ouellette, who is an associate head coach of this year's national U Sports-champion Concordia Stingers.

PWHL players dominate Canada's roster