CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the coaching staff and management group that will lead Canada’s National Women’s Team through the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship, Nov. 6-16 in Herning and Esbjerg, Denmark. Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, NS/Montréal, PWHL) will serve as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team for the 2026-27 season, joined by assistant coaches Caroline Ouellette (Montréal, QC/ Montréal, PWHL) and Kris Sparre (Mississauga, ON/Hamilton, PWHL). The staff was selected by general manager Danièle Sauvageau (Montréal, QC/Montréal, PWHL), Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and Dylan Rockwell (Calgary, AB), director of hockey operations. “I am incredibly proud and honoured to have the opportunity to lead Canada’s National Women’s Team,” said Cheverie. “Growing up playing hockey in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, I had big dreams of one day being part of Team Canada. I didn’t know then that my path would be through coaching, and I am extremely grateful that this journey has now given me the opportunity to lead this program. I am excited to work alongside an amazing group of athletes and staff as we continue building together. With the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship in front of us in November, I cannot wait to get to work, compete for Canada and continue pushing this program forward.” Canada’s National Women’s Team will gather in Quebec City for selection camp from Oct. 8-14. The camp will feature on- and off-ice training sessions as well as two intrasquad games, Oct. 12 and 14 at the Centre Vidéotron. Ahead of Women’s Worlds, Canada will play host to the United States in pre-tournament action at the WFCU Centre in Windsor on Oct. 28. Fans looking to secure their seats can purchase tickets HERE. The cross-border rivals will also face off Oct. 30 in Plymouth, Michigan, before departing for Denmark. Cheverie has served as head coach of the PWHL’s Montréal Victoire for all three seasons of the league’s existence, winning the Walter Cup last season and earning PWHL Coach of the Year honours in 2024-25 after guiding the Victoire to first place in the regular-season standings. She won gold medals as an assistant coach at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in 2021, 2022 and 2024, in addition to the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, and silver medals at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, and Women’s Worlds in 2023 and 2025. In 2022, Cheverie became the first woman to serve on the coaching staff with one of Canada’s national men’s teams at the IIHF U18 World Championship. Nationally, she won a silver medal as head coach of Nova Scotia at the 2023 Canada Winter Games, the province’s first-ever medal in women’s hockey. She was also the first woman hired as a full-time assistant coach in U SPORTS, spending five seasons (2016-21) with the Ryerson University men’s hockey team. Ouellette has been the associate head coach at Concordia University since 2021, and recently completed her second season as an assistant coach with the Victoire, helping the team to a Walter Cup championship. As an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team, she won gold medals at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in 2022 and 2024, in addition to silver medals in 2023 and 2025, and bronze in 2019, as well as an Olympic silver medal at Milano Cortina 2026. A Team Canada legend during her 17-year playing career, Ouellette won four Olympic gold medals and six world championships and recorded 242 points (87-155—242) in 220 games, the third-most in National Women’s Team history. She was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and IIHF Hall of Fame in 2023. Sparre was recently named the inaugural head coach of PWHL Hamilton after serving the 2025-26 season as head coach of the Boston Fleet, earning PWHL Coach of the Year honours. Prior to joining the Fleet, Sparre spent time with the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL) as an assistant coach (2021-25), the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Flint Firebirds as an associate coach (2021-22) and as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs (2016-19). In addition, Bruce Cassidy (Ottawa, ON) will serve as special advisor to Sauvageau, who will be joined by assistant general managers Michael Hirshfeld (Toronto, ON/Ottawa, PWHL) and Manon Rhéaume (Lac-Beauport, QC/Detroit, PWHL) for the 2026-27 season. Reporting to Sauvageau, Cassidy will support the management group and coaching staff through selection camp, pre-tournament games in Windsor and Plymouth, and during the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship. “This elite coaching staff brings the passion, grit and experience we need to launch a new Olympic quadrennial, as it is crucial to build an environment that will foster growth and opportunity," said Sauvageau. "We did not just assemble a coaching staff—we built a leadership force. Starting in Quebec City, we are laying a championship foundation. This team will represent Canada with fierce pride and power in Denmark and the years ahead. "Bringing Bruce onto our staff is a win for our program. His wealth of elite hockey experience and deep-rooted legacy with Hockey Canada make him an invaluable asset. We are fortunate to have his leadership guiding our coaches and support staff as we establish a standard.” Cassidy served as an assistant coach with Canada’s Men’s Olympic Team in 2026 and with Canada’s National Men’s Team at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. He last served as head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights for four years (2022-26), winning the Stanley Cup in 2023. He joined Vegas after more than five seasons (2017-22) as head coach of the Boston Bruins, leading the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019 and winning the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 2019-20. As a player, Cassidy represented Canada at the 1984 IIHF World Junior Championship and suited up for Canada’s National Men’s Team during the 1986-87 season. Hirshfeld is entering his fourth season with the PWHL’s Ottawa Charge after being named the organization’s first general manager in 2023, helping guide the Charge to the Walter Cup Finals in each of the past two seasons. Prior to joining Ottawa, he served as executive director of the NHL Coaches’ Association from 2016 to 2023. Rhéaume was recently named the inaugural general manager of PWHL Detroit. Previously, she spent four seasons (2022-26) as a hockey operations and prospects advisor for the Los Angeles Kings. As a player, Rhéaume helped Canada win a silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games and captured gold at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in 1992 and 1994. Hockey Canada has also announced the support staff that will work with Canada’s National Women’s Team for the 2026-27 season:
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.