Canada to host U.S. ahead of women's hockey worlds

Canada to host U.S. ahead of women's hockey worlds

National team rivals will meet on Oct. 2 in Windsor, Ont.

The Canadian women's hockey team will host the United States on Oct. 28 in Windsor, Ont., for an exhibition game ahead of the 2026 world championship, Hockey Canada announced Tuesday.

The national governing body added that details for a second pre-tournament game in the United States would be announced in the coming days.

The women's world hockey championships run Nov. 6-16 in Herning and Esbjerg, Denmark.

Canada, which lost to the United States in the gold-medal game at February's Milan Cortina Olympics, opens its tournament Nov. 6 against Sweden. The Canadians will also face Japan, Denmark and Finland in pool play.

Danièle Sauvageau, who coached Canadian women's hockey team to 1st gold medal, returns as new GM

The tournament will be Canada's first since Danièle Sauvageau succeeded Gina Kingsbury as national team general manager. Canada has not yet hired a replacement for Troy Ryan, who served as head coach for six years.

Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin is presumably out for the tournament after undergoing surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and torn meniscus in her right knee in July.