U18 Women’s Worlds Preview: Canada vs. Czechia

CALGARY, Alta. –Hockey Canada
has unveiled the coaching staffs for Canada’s National Women’s Team,
Canada’s National Women’s Development Team and Canada’s National Women’s
Under-18 Team for the 2023-24 season, with seven alumnae among those behind
the bench.

Troy Ryan (Spryfield, NS) returns for his fourth year
behind the bench as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team, joined by
assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, NS),

Caroline Ouellette (Montreal, QC/Concordia University, RSEQ)

and Courtney Birchard-Kessel (Mississauga, ON/Boston University, HE),
as well as goaltending consultant

Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, AB)

and video coach Andrew Boucher (Timmins, ON).

“We’re excited about the coaching staff, including a number of alumnae, we
have assembled for our women’s programs for the upcoming season,” said
Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC), vice-president of
hockey operations. “We are grateful for the commitment many of our coaches
make to return year after year to lead and develop our athletes, and look
forward to the leadership and expertise they will bring in leading our
teams on the international stage.”

Ryan recently became the first coach to serve on the
coaching staff for both Canada’s National Men’s Team and Canada’s National
Women’s Team, winning a gold medal as an assistant at the 2023 IIHF World
Championship and silver as head coach at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World
Championship. Ryan is going into his fifth season as head coach of the
National Women’s Team after serving as an assistant coach for nearly four
seasons (2016-19). Ryan coached Team Canada to back-to-back gold medals at
the IIHF Women’s World Championship (2021, 2022), in addition to a gold
medal at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. He also earned a silver medal at
the 2018 Olympics, silver Women’s Worlds in 2017 and bronze in 2019.

Cheverie won a silver medal as an assistant coach with
Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship.
She also added gold medals as an assistant at Women’s Worlds in 2021 and
2022, and at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Cheverie became the first woman
to serve on the coaching staff with one of Canada’s national men’s teams at
the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship. Nationally, she won a silver medal as
head coach of Team Nova Scotia at the 2023 Canada…