Canada selects National Women’s Development Team roster

Yesterday, Hockey Canada announced their national team roster that will represent Hockey Canada at the 2018 Nations Cup, a four-day competition between teams from Russia, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and Canada between January 3-6.

21 players were chosen for the roster, including five players who were named to last year’s development squad (Agnew, Bach, Bourbonnais, O’Neill, Stacey). The full roster includes:

Forwards: Lindsay Agnew, Victoria Bach, Ashton Bell, Loren Gabel, Rebecca Leslie, Emma Maltais, Hannah Miller, Kristin O’Neill, Eve-Audrey Picard, Amy Potomak, Sophie Shirley, Brooke Stacey.

Defenders: Jaime Bourbonnais, Codie Cross, Jess Healey, Allie Munroe, Josiane Pozzebon, Ella Shelton, Kaitlin Tse.

Goaltenders: Marlene Boissonnault, Tricia Deguire

The team is littered with current NCAA stars and a couple other players - Shirley is currently leading the CWHL’s Calgary Inferno in points and Amy Potomak, until very recently, was on Canada’s centralization roster before she was released in the first round of cuts. Three of the members of the team - Bach, Leslie, and Gabel - are in the top 10 in scoring in the NCAA.

One notable omission? Daryl Watts, who’s been tearing up the NCAA as a rookie with Boston College. Although, to hear Grant Salzano, a writer for BC Interruption, tell it, maybe it’s not so surprising after all...

So Daryl Watts was not included on the @HockeyCanada National Development Team roster for Nations Cup. Which got some of us thinking...

"...Wait, what?" (1/?)

— Grant Salzano (@Salzano14) December 12, 2017

But no, it turns out that, from what I understand, Watts wasn't even included in Hockey Canada's program this year, despite being on their U18 team last year, and isn't even eligible to be selected to these rosters right now. (3/?)

— Grant Salzano (@Salzano14) December 12, 2017

Watts currently leads the NCAA in scoring with 47 points (22 G, 25 A) in 19 games as a freshman. Yes, you read that correctly.

But one of the more notable additions to the roster is goaltender Tricia Deguire, the only U Sports athlete to make the team. Though she’s been invited to Hockey Québec camps before, she’s never represented them, and this will be the first major team she’s made.

During her freshman year at McGill, injuries forced her into a starting role, where she shone; she led the RSEQ conference in goals against average (1.75), save percentage (.930%) and record (14-3) and earned the U Sports Rookie of the Year title. She also backstopped the U Sports All-Star team to a win against Hockey Canada during their development camp this summer.

(Stick taps to Kirsten Whelan, who contributed to this story)