The NHL on Wednesday announced the rosters for the U.S. and Canadian women's national teams who will go head-to-head in a three-on-three game as part of the 2020 NHL All-Star weekend.
The women will play in a 20-minute game on Jan. 24, as part of the skills competition.
Team USA will be coached by Hall of Fame player Cammi Granato and include the following women:
Forwards:
Kendall Coyne Schofield
Brianna Decker
Amanda Kessel
Hilary Knight
Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson
Annie Pankowski
Alex Carpenter
Defenders:
Kacey Bellamy
Lee Stecklein
Goaltender:
Alex Rigsby Cavallini
The Canadian team will be coached by Hall of Fame player Jayna Hefford, and include the following women:
Forwards:
Meghan Agosta
Melodie Daoust
Rebecca Johnston
Sarah Nurse
Marie-Philip Poulin
Natalie Spooner
Blayre Turnbull
Defenders:
Renata Fast
Laura Fortino
Goaltenders:
Ann-Renee Desbiens
The two total rosters, which were selected by a committee of Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Granato, Angela Ruggiero and Hayley Wickenheiser, combine for 39 Olympic and 109 World Championship medals.
"I think it's really going to showcase the talent that we have, obviously 3-on-3, a lot of open ice," Canada forward Rebecca Johnston said. "There's a lot of speed in our game and puck skill. So I think it will really showcase our speed, our talent on the ice, be able to make plays. I think it's really going to open up the ice. I think it will be really good for us, a lot of fun."
"The intention here is to give these elite players the forum they've earned and they deserve," said NHL executive vide president and chief content officer Steve Mayer. "It's thrilling for us to be able to give them this moment. This is a meaningful event -- it's on national television, not only are they going to be performing and playing in front of 20,000 people in the arena, but they are also playing in front of 40 of the greatest players in the NHL. We're so confident that they will put on a great display."
Susan Cohig, the NHL's executive vice president for club business affairs, adds that the hope is that this game will help inspire the next generation of girls to play hockey.
"We want more Rebecca Johnstons and Brianna Deckers and Renata Fasts and Kendall Coynes," Cohig said. "We don't want to be talking about one. We want to be talking about 10 of them. Ten Rebecca Johnstons. To be able to have that be an effect of what we do probably is more important than anything."
The NHL says they will donate $100,000 to girls hockey organizations on behalf of the American and Canadian teams, but does not say anything about paying the women themselves for their time and efforts.
