CALGARY - The Canadian women's hockey team roster for the Four Nations Cup is young on defence.
All but three of the nine defencemen named to the team Friday are 23 years of age or under.
The annual Four Nations Cup includes Canada, the U.S., Finland and Sweden. The Canadians open defence of a title they have won five straight times on Nov. 3 against Finland in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Veterans and Olympic gold medallists Cheryl Pounder of Mississauga, Ont., and Becky Kellar of Hagersville, Ont., will anchor the youthful blue-line along with Montreal's Caroline Ouellette, who plays both forward and defence.
Tessa Bonhomme of Sudbury, Ont., Annie Guay of Rouyn-Noranda, Que., Edmonton's Megan Mikkelson and Bobbi Jo Slusar of Swift Current, Sask., are 23 years old. Jocelyne Larocque of Ste. Anne, Man., is 20 and Montreal's Catherine Ward is 21.
Bonhomme and Mikkelson have played for Canada at world championships in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Pounder returns to the national team after taking last season off to have a child.
The Canadian squad has more familiar names up front, including Hayley Wickenheiser of Shaunavon, Sask., Jayna Hefford of Kingston, Ont., Gillian Apps of Unionville, Ont., Meghan Agosta of Ruthven, Ont., and Sarah Vaillancourt of Sherbrooke, Que.
Toronto's Natalie Spooner, who turns 18 later this month, will make her debut with the national senior team. Jennifer Wakefield of Pickering, Ont., who is 19, will play in her second Four Nations Cup for Canada.
Head coach Melody Davidson chose veteran goaltenders Kim St. Pierre of Chateauguay, Que., and Charline Labonte of Boisbriand, Que.
The Canadian team will hold a camp Oct. 9-13 in Moncton, N.B.
Players invited to that camp who are not on the Four Nations roster are goaltenders Laura Hosier of Sharon, Ont., and Shannon Szabados of Edmonton, defencemen Delaney Collins of Pilot Mound, Man., Gillian Ferrari of Thornhill, Ont., Calgary's Carla MacLeod and Colleen Sostorics of Kennedy, Sask., and forwards Kelly Bechard of Sedley, Sask., Winnipeg's Jennifer Botterill, Montreal's Noemie Marin, Cherie Piper of Toronto, Marie-Philip Poulin of Beaceville, Que., and Katie Weatherston of Thunder Bay, Ont.
"The players who were named to these two rosters should be proud of their accomplishments," Davidson said in a statement.
"Both of these events are important for the players as they work towards future camps in the 2008-09 season, culminating with the world women's championship in April in Hameenlinna, Finland."
