Canada’ Marie-Philip Poulin is among the the host country’s 23-player roster for the women’s world hockey championship.Gene J. Puskar/The Associated Press
Marie-Philip Poulin and Hayley Wickenheiser will lead the Canadian women's hockey team at the world championship in Kamloops, B.C.
Hockey Canada announced the host country's 23-player roster Monday for the tournament from March 28 to April 4 at the Sandman Centre.
Canada opens the preliminary round against the defending champion U.S., which has won six of the last eight world titles.
Canada's roster includes 13 players who beat the U.S. in overtime for Olympic gold in Sochi, Russia in 2014.
Poulin was the captain of last year's team that lost 7-5 to the Americans in the final at Malmo, Sweden. Canada's last world championship win came in 2012.
Wickenheiser will play in her 13th world championship. Canada's all-time leading scorer didn't participate in Malmo because of season-ending foot surgery.