Hockey

CALGARY - The 2010 Canadian Olympic women's hockey team named Monday has more offensive skill on defence and is slightly younger than the squad that won the gold medal in 2006.

The 21-player roster includes familiar faces such as Hayley Wickenheiser, of Shaunavon, Sask., who will act as captain. Winnipeg's Jennifer Botterill, Jayna Hefford of Kingston, Ont., and Becky Kellar of Hagersville, Ont., will also play in their fourth Olympic Games.

But seven players will make their Olympic debut Feb. 13 when Canada begins defence of its title in Vancouver.

Since the 2006 Olympics, head coach Melody Davidson, who was also behind the bench in Turin, Italy, has been cultivating defencemen who can both protect Canada's end of the ice and generate goals.

Davidson released two players Sunday night - forward Jennifer Wakefield of Pickering, Ont., and veteran defenceman Gillian Ferrari of Thornhill, Ont. - to get down to three goaltenders, six defencemen and 12 forwards.

Wakefield, who has been sidelined with a broken wrist, will remain with the team as an alternate. When the 20-year-old is healthy again, she'll practise with the Olympic squad as insurance against injury.

Defenders Delaney Collins of Pilot Mound, Man., and Jocelyne Larocque of Ste-Anne., Man., as well as forward Brianne Jenner of Oakville, Ont., were released earlier this month.

Edmonton's Meaghan Mikkelson, Montreal's Catherine Ward and Tessa Bonhomme of Sudbury, Ont., are young defenders with considerable offensive upside who were named to the team.

Mikkelson, the daughter of former NHL player Bill Mikkelson, has switched between defence and forward during her short time on the national team.

Calgary's Carla MacLeod, named the most valuable player at the world championships earlier this year, is one of the best offensive defenders in the game. Davidson retained her, Colleen Sostorics of Kennedy, Sask., and Kellar as defencemen from the 2006 squad. Kellar and Sostorics play a more defensive-style of game.

"We're excited today to announce the 21 players who will go for gold in Vancouver," said Davidson in a release. "Our country is fortunate to have unbelievable depth in hockey and this is no different in the women's game. The selection process has been difficult, which speaks to this depth."

Twenty-six players congregated in Calgary on Aug. 2 to try out for the Olympic team. They're playing a 60-game schedule against international women's teams and local men's midget triple-A squads in addition to practising and off-ice training.

The overall age of the 2010 team is 26 years 10 months, while the 2006 team was an even 27 years. The youngest player on the team is 18-year-old forward Marie-Philip Poulin of Beauceville, Que., while Kellar, a mother of two young sons, is the oldest at 34.

As of this year, women's teams are allowed to carry three goaltenders to international tournaments, so Edmonton's Shannon Szabados, Kim St. Pierre of Chateauguay, Que., and Charline Labonte of Boisbriand, Que., have known for months they'd be part of the Olympic team.

There is suspense at that position, however, as they battle for the right to start in the gold-medal game. Barring a shocking upset, Canada is expected to meet the U.S. in the final Feb. 25.

The release of Ferrari, a member of the 2006 squad who is strictly a defensive defenceman, signalled what Davidson's expectations are from her blue-line.

While Canada outscored the opposition 46-2 in Turin, the Americans are a much more explosive team than they were then. Davidson is preparing for a championship game where her side will need to produce goals.

The players will have a short holiday break starting Tuesday. Canada will play exhibition games against the U.S. in St. Paul, Minn., on Dec. 30 and in Ottawa on Jan. 1.