Breaking down the North American pro and collegiate teams represented in Epsoo

Which pro and collegiate teams from the U.S. and Canada have the most players playing in the 2019 Worlds?

The group play stage of the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship is over. The first 20 games of the Worlds have provided us with countless stories and surprises in both Group A and Group B, and many of them surround players who play either pro or collegiate hockey in North America.


2019 Worlds - The Ice Garden


Of the 289 players listed on the rosters of the 10 teams at the Women’s Worlds in Espoo, Finland, 75 of them play either pro or collegiate hockey in leagues based in the United States or Canada (including the soon-to-be-dissolved CWHL, which has a team in China).

The following is a breakdown of how each pro and collegiate team is represented at the 2019 Worlds. It should be noted that seniors who graduated this season from both NCAA and U Sports programs are listed under their collegiate programs.

Note: German defender Anna Fiegert lists The Minnesota Blue J’s as her club team. The Blue J’s are in the Women’s Hockey Association of Minnesota. Also, the Czech Republic's Klara Hymlarova is currently playing at the Ontario Hockey Academy.

NWHL (United States) | 11 players

Boston Pride | Denisa Křížová (CZE)

Buffalo Beauts | Shannon Szabados (CAN), Emily Pfalzer (USA), Dani Cameranesi (USA), Hayley Scamurra (USA)

Connecticut Whale | Kateřina Mrázová (CZE)

Metropolitan Riveters | Amanda Kessel (USA), Michelle Picard (USA)

Minnesota Whitecaps | Lee Stecklein (USA), Hannah Brandt (USA) Kendall Coyne Schofield (USA)

  • Top Scorer in Group Play: Kendall Coyne Schofield has four goals and three assists to lead all NWHL players in scoring. She shares the point lead among all skaters in Espoo with Canada’s Natalie Spooner.
  • Goaltenders: Shannon Szabados is the lone NWHL goaltender playing at the 2019 Worlds.
  • Top Scoring Team: Minnesota Whitecaps players have a combined six goals and four assists./

CWHL (Canada, China, United States) | 27 players

Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays | Noora Räty (FIN), Alex Carpenter (USA)

Calgary Inferno | Brianna Decker (USA), Kacey Bellamy (USA), Alex Rigsby (USA), Brigette Lacquette (CAN), Rebecca Johnston (CAN), Brianne Jenner (CAN), Blayre Turnbull (CAN), Venla Hovi (FIN)

Les Canadiennes de Montréal | Jillian Saulnier (CAN), Mélodie Dauost (CAN), Erin Ambrose (CAN), Marie-Philip Poulin (CAN), Geneviève Lacasse (CAN), Emerance Maschmeyer (CAN), Ann-Sophie Bettez (CAN), Hilary Knight (USA)

Markham Thunder | Jocelyn Larocque (CAN), Laura Stacey (CAN), Laura Fortino (CAN), Jamie Lee Rattray (CAN), Megan Bozek (USA)

Toronto Furies | Renata Fast (CAN), Sarah Nurse (CAN), Natalie Spooner (CAN), Sena Suzuki (JPN)

  • Top Scorer in Group Play: Natalie Spooner has four goals and three assists to lead all CWHL players in scoring. Her seven primary points also leads all skaters at the 2019 Worlds.
  • Goaltenders: Noora Räty, Emerance Maschmeyer, Geneviève Lacasse, and Alex Rigsby.
  • Top Scoring Team: Toronto Furies players have a combined six goals and nine assists. Thus far, their players have more points than any other North American club in Espoo./

NCAA (United States) | 32 players

Northeastern University | Chloe Aurard (FRA), Alina Müller (SUI)

RPI | Lovisa Selander (SWE)

Quinnipiac University | Melissa Samoskevich (USA)

St. Cloud State | Laura Kluge (GER), Janine Alder (SUI), Emma Polusny (USA)

University of Maine | Tereza Vanišová (CZE), Vendula Přibylová (CZE), Anna Zíková (CZE), Daria Teryoshkina (RUS)

University of Minnesota | Kelly Pannek (USA)

University of Minnesota-Duluth | Sydney Brodt (USA), Maddie Rooney (USA)

Minnesota State University | Lena Düsterhöft (GER)

University of Vermont | Samantha Kolowratova (CZE)

University of Wisconsin | Emily Clark (CAN), Annie Pankowski (USA)

Yale University | Tabea Botthof (GER)

Boston College | Megan Keller (USA), Cayla Barnes (USA)

Boston University | Jesse Compher (USA)

Clarkson University | Loren Gabel (CAN), Michaela Pejzlová (CZE)

Colgate University | Noemi Neubauerová (CZE), Livia Altmann (SUI)

Cornell University | Micah Zandee-Hart (CAN), Jaime Bourbonnais (CAN)

Ohio State University | Andrea Brandli (SUI)

Penn State University | Jessica Adolfsson (SWE)

Providence College | Sara Hjalmarsson (SWE)

Mercyhurst University | Emma Nuutinen (FIN)

  • Top Scorer in Group Play: Annie Pankowski has two goals and three primary assists to lead all NCAA players in scoring and in primary points.
  • Goaltenders: Andrea Brandli, Lovisa Selander, Emma Polusny, Janine Alder, and Maddie Rooney.
  • Top Scoring Team: Boston College players (excluding alumna) have combined for three goals and five primary assists./

U Sports (Canada) | 5 players

University of Montréal | Jade Vix (FRA), Emmanuelle Passard (FRA), Estelle Duvin (FRA), Kaleigh Quennec (SUI)

University of Regina | Martina Mašková (CZE)

  • Top Scorer in Group Play: Estelle Duvin has a goal and a primary assist (both on the power play) to lead all U Sports players in scoring and in primary points.
  • Goaltenders: (none)
  • Top Scoring Team: The Montréal Carabins have a combined two goals and one primary assist./

The Calgary Inferno, winners of the 2019 Clarkson Cup, and Les Canadiennes de Montréal are the most well-represented North American club teams in Espoo. Both the Inferno and Les Canadiennes have eight players participating in this Women’s Worlds.

The NWHL team with the most representation at the Worlds is the Buffalo Beauts. Buffalo has four players in Espoo — three with Team USA (Cameranesi, Pfalzer, and Scamurra) and one with Team Canada (Szabados).

There are 18 European players from NCAA D-I schools who are representing their home countries and all five players from U Sports programs are representing European nations. Five of the 38 players from the NWHL and CWHL competing in the 2019 Worlds are from European nations.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated after Jesse Compher (Boston University, Team USA) was mistakenly omitted from the list of NCAA athletes active in the 2019 Women’s World Championship.