Previewing the 2024-25 USA-Canada Rivalry Series — Notes from around women’s hockey

The game schedule

The 2024-25 U.S.-Canada Rivalry Series opens with three U.S.-based games in early November, before finishing with a pair of games in Canada in Feb. 2025. The series begins on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. PT at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, California.

Following the San Jose game, the teams will face off at Salt Lake City’s Maverik Center on Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. MT and at Idaho Central Arena in Boise on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 5 p.m. MT. All three games will be broadcast on NHL Network, and tickets are on sale now: Wed | Fri | Sun.

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The rosters

USA roster

The U.S. roster is pretty much as expected, featuring 24 players who saw action in last year’s Rivalry Series. They’ll be led by mainstays like Kendall Coyne Schofield (Minnesota Frost/PWHL), Hilary Knight (Boston Fleet/PWHL) and Megan Keller (Boston Fleet/PWHL), among others with extensive national team experience.

Among those I’m particularly intrigued to watch are defender Laila Edwards (University of Wisconsin), forward Taylor Heise (Minnesota Frost/PWHL) and Gwyneth Philips (Ottawa Charge/PWHL). Philips is coming off an impressive five years at Northeastern and will make her Rivalry Series debut after previously representing in the 2023 Collegiate Series and at the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championships. Forward Joy Dunne will also be making her Rivalry Series debut.

Forwards
Hannah Bilka (Boston Fleet)
Alex Carpenter (New York Sirens)
Kendall Coyne Schofield (Minnesota Frost)
Britta Curl (Minnesota Frost)
Joy Dunne (Ohio State University)
Lacey Eden (University of Wisconsin)
Taylor Heise (Minnesota Frost)
Gabbie Hughes (Ottawa Charge)
Tessa Janecke (Penn State University)
Hilary Knight (Boston Fleet)
Abbey Murphy (University of Minnesota)
Kelly Pannek (Minnesota Frost)
Hayley Scamurra (Ottawa Charge)
Kirsten Simms (University of Wisconsin)
Grace Zumwinkle (Minnesota Frost)

Defenders
Cayla Barnes (Montreal Victorie)
Laila Edwards (University of Wisconsin)
Rory Guilday (Cornell University)
Savannah Harmon (Ottawa Charge)
Caroline Harvey (University of Wisconsin)
Megan Keller (Boston Fleet)
Ally Simpson (New York SIrens)
Haley Winn (Clarkson University)

Goaltenders
Aerin Frankel (Boston Fleet)
Nicole Hensley (Minnesota Frost)
Gwyneth Philips (Ottawa Charge)

Canada roster

It’s much of the same for Canada, with 21 of 25 players on the fall roster having skated in the Rivalry Series last season. Of note, the trio of Ann-Renée Desbiens (Montreal Victoire/PWHL), Emerance Maschmeyer (Ottawa Charge/PWHL) and Kristen Campbell (Toronto Sceptres/PWHL) return in goal, while reliable assets like Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal Victoire/PWHL), Sarah Nurse (Toronto Sceptres/PWHL) and Blayre Turnbull (Toronto Sceptres/PWHL) are back up front.

Both Chloe Primerano (University of Minnesota) and Daryl Watts will make their senior national team debuts, and I’m super excited to watch them both. Primerano, 17, is a highly-touted young player who certainly appears to be worth the hype. She was the first female skater ever drafted into the Western Hockey League and is the all-time leading scorer for Canada at IIHF U18 Women’s World Championships. In just 10 NCAA games, she’s already notched six points.

Watts won the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2018 while at Boston College and was a finalist the next three seasons. She won the Isobel Cup with the PHF’s Toronto Six in 2023 and scored 17 points in 24 PWHL games last season with Ottawa. She hasn’t represented Canada since 2017, but has certainly earned the honor, with 321 points in 208 games across the NCAA, PHF and PWHL since then.

Forwards
Emily Clark (Ottawa Charge)
Sarah Fillier (unsigned)
Julia Gosling (Toronto Sceptres)
Brianne Jenner (Ottawa Charge)
Emma Maltais (Toronto Sceptres)
Sarah Nurse (Toronto Sceptres)
Kristin O’Neill (Montreal Victoire)
Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal Victoire)
Jamie Lee Rattray (Boston Fleet)
Danielle Serdachny (Ottawa Charge)
Sophie Shirley (Boston Fleet)
Laura Stacey (Montreal Victoire)
Blayre Turnbull (Toronto Sceptres)
Daryl Watts (Toronto Sceptres)

Defenders
Erin Ambrose (Montreal Victoire)
Jaime Bourbonnais (New York Sirens)
Ashton Bell (Ottawa Charge)
Renata Fast (Toronto Sceptres)
Jocelyne Larocque (Toronto Sceptres)
Chloe Primerano (University of Minnesota)
Ella Shelton (New York Sirens)
Claire Thompson (Minnesota)

Goaltenders
Kristen Campbell (Toronto Sceptres)
Ann-Renée Desbiens (Montreal Victoire)
Emerance Maschmeyer (Ottawa Charge)

Following the November trio of games, the Rivalry Series will wrap up with games on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. AT at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia and on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. AT at Credit Union Place in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.

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Around the hockey world

Deep Blue partners with PWHL to net more brands for women’s hockey — Adweek

Deep Blue has added the PWHL to its exchange, dedicated to “representing teams, leagues and businesses in the commercial marketplace” in an effort to “show sponsors and media partners the value of women’s sports brand.”

Former PWHL Toronto goaltender Erica Howe shares breast cancer diagnosis — Toronto Star

Erica Howe, who spent years in the CWHL with the Brampton & Markham Thunder, and played this past season with PWHL Toronto, has shared via Instagram that she was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year.

The anatomy and aftermath of a PWHL Trade — The Hockey News

It’s always interesting to get an inside look at the behind-the-scenes parts of the hockey world, and a look at one of the few trades in the PWHL’s inaugural season.

Fans and sold-out arenas prove the power of women’s sports — The Globe & Mail

If you’re reading this, chances are you already know the power of women’s sports, but there’s also plenty of data and personal anecdotes to prove it.

A new season, a new role: Emerance Maschmeyer on hockey and parenthood — The Ice Garden

Emerance Maschmeyer is preparing for another PWHL season, but in a new light: as a mom.

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