The International Ice Hockey Federation’s Under-18 Women’s World Championship is an important development opportunity for many of the game’s rising stars. The 2023 event wrapped up on Sunday with Canada winning a second-straight gold medal in a 10-0 win over host Sweden, while the United States claimed bronze in a 5-0 victory against Finland.
A total of 55 current Premier Hockey Federation players used this event to gain valuable experience representing their countries on the world stage, before their professional careers. This works out to over 35% of the entire player pool and includes 11 members of the Minnesota Whitecaps, 10 Metropolitan Riveters, eight from the Boston Pride and Toronto Six, seven Connecticut Whale, six Buffalo Beauts, and five Montreal Force.
The list includes talent from eight different national programs including 21 players from Canada, 17 from the United States, five from both Czechia and Finland, two from Austria, Hungary, and Sweden, plus one from Switzerland.
Of the 55 PHF players, 46 have won medals competing in the event’s top division. Those 46 players have in fact combined for 61 different medals including 33 gold, 21 silver, and seven bronze. Since the event was introduced in 2008, current PHF players can be found on at least one medal-winning roster in 11 consecutive events through 2018.
Seven current PHF players are double WU18 gold medal winners, while three players have won two gold and one silver including Boston’s Becca Gilmore, Amanda Pelkey from the Riveters, and Minnesota’s Patti Marshall.
The 2015 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team has the most gold medal winners from the PHF with seven. The 2014 event featured the most PHF medal winners with 16 including six Canadian gold, seven American silver, and three bronze from Czechia.
2022-23 PHF Players with WU18 Experience:
Boston Pride (8):
Sammy Davis (USA) 2015 Gold
Jillian Dempsey (USA) 2009 Gold
Kaleigh Fratkin (CAN) 2009 Silver
Kayla Friesen (CAN) 2016 Silver
Élizabeth Giguère (CAN) 2015 Silver
Becca Gilmore (USA) 2016 Gold, 2015 Gold, 2014 Silver
Corinne Schroeder (CAN) 2017 Silver
Aneta Tejralová (CZE) 2014 Bronze, 2013, 2012, 2011
Buffalo Beauts (6):
Samantha Fieseler (CAN) 2014 Gold
Jessica Healey (CAN) 2014 Gold
Antonia Matzka (AUS) 2017 D1, 2016 D1, 2015 D1
Emma Nuutinen (FIN) 2014, 2013, 2012
Kassidy Sauvé (CAN) 2014 Gold
Jenna Suokko (FIN) 2013, 2012, 2011 Bronze
Connecticut Whale (7):
Tori Howran (CAN) 2016 Silver
Caitrin Lonergan (USA) 2015 Gold,…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at PREMIER HOCKEY FEDERATION…