Tight-knit Team Canada arrives at women's hockey worlds with good vibes

The women's world hockey championship has officially arrived in Brampton, Ont.

Monday was the first day of practice for the entire 10-team field at the CAA Centre ahead of opening day on Wednesday.

Canada enters this tournament as the two-time reigning champion, as well as the defending Olympic gold medallist. Canada also beat the U.S. in the latest edition of the seven-game Rivalry Series, coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the process.

"This group, they always want to compete and they always want to win, but when there's a world championship on the line, they've really come to play and we'll be ready for all the teams that we face," assistant coach Kori Cheverie told CBC Sports after Canada's practice.

And you can add home-ice advantage to all of that, too. 

Canada's 23-player roster is made up of 14 Ontarians, creating a homecoming of sorts as well as its three-peat bid formally begins.

The team spent the past week together in Niagara Falls, Ont., for training camp, culminating in a 3-1 exhibition victory over Finland on Saturday. Canada's first game is Wednesday against Switzerland at 7 p.m. ET.

"The vibe is always good with this group," Cheverie said. "I think that that's something that is really a strength of ours is how connected we are. So you know our group loves to have fun, they love to work hard. So that's a good combination when you have those two things."

Claire Thompson, who set an Olympic record for points by a defenceman at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, agreed that the group is tight-knit.

"The girls always have so much fun when we get a chance to play and practice together and we're really looking forward to the round-robin series and the games coming up in the next few days," Thompson told CBC Sports.

Cheverie said the coaching staff is constantly challenging the team both and off the ice, a tact that works even better when the group, which features just one player making her senior-team debut at a major tournament in forward Danielle Serdachny, is as close as it is.

"I think that we've done a really good job trying to elevate more parts of us as hockey players, as people," she said. "It's as simple as caring about each other."

Additional home-ice perks

For the team's Ontarians, home ice also means many ticket requests. Thompson said she off-loaded that specific responsibility to her mom. Natalie Spooner called the tickets a "hot commodity." Sarah Fillier said she was getting requests before she was even officially named to the roster.

Canada last hosted the women's worlds in 2021 in Calgary, but it was in the throes of the pandemic. 

"It's gonna be fun to get a chance to play in front of them, especially at such a great stage and great venue," Thompson said.

The other advantage of playing at home is the ability to connect with the next generation. A group of players from the Under-13 triple-A Brampton Canadettes were invited to practice on Monday.

When they walked in, some covered their mouths in shock at getting to take a picture with stars Spooner and Sarah Nurse.

And they were there to greet the players when they left the ice after practice before getting a private meeting with Team Canada's player leadership group.

And so the stage is set. In two days, the real thing will begin.

"We're really excited," Thompson said. "It's exciting that it's at home in Canada. I think the girls are really looking forward to being supported by a home crowd here and we're just really looking forward to getting the tournament."

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