Saskatoon product Grace Shirley is Japan-bound in the New Year!

The 17-year-old forward was one of 23 players named to Canada’s Under-18 women’s hockey team that will compete in the 2019 I-I-H-F Under-18 Women’s World Championship, being held January 6-13 in Obihiro, Japan. A right-hand shot, Shirley plays for the Saskatoon Stars and leads the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA League in goals and points with 18 and 30, respectively, in just 14 games. Following is the news release from Hockey Canada…

December 10, 2018

NR.103.18

HOCKEY CANADA UNVEILS ROSTER FOR 2019 IIHF U18 WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

23 players set sights on gold medal in Obihiro, Japan, in January

CALGARY, Alta. – Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team will look to claim gold in Japan when it heads to Obihiro in January for the 2019 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

Hockey Canada has announced the 23-player roster that will wear the Maple Leaf at U18 women’s worlds, scheduled for Jan. 6-13 in Obihiro.

The roster, consisting of three goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards, includes:

• 21 players who competed as part of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team in a three-game series against the United States in Calgary last August (Beck, Calabrese, Carter, Cherkowski, Cooper, Gardiner, Julia Gosling, Nicole Gosling, Grant, Guay, Kelly, Kirk, Markowski, MacEachern, Naud, Serdachny, Shirley, Snow, Trevors, Weiss, Wheeler)
• Four players who won a bronze medal at the 2018 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in Dmitrov, Russia (Julia Gosling, Guay, MacEachern, Shirley)
• Two players who will make their debut with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team (Cote, Sarrazin)

The player selections were made by Gina Kingsbury, Hockey Canada’s director of women’s national teams, alongside Melody Davidson, Hockey Canada’s head scout for women’s national teams, and the coaching staff – head coach Howie Draper (Edmonton/University of Alberta, CW), assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, N.S./Ryerson University, OUA) and Courtney (Birchard) Kessel (Mississauga, Ont./Toronto, CWHL) and goaltending consultant Gord Woodhall (Winnipeg/Winnipeg, MFMHL) – with input from Hockey Canada’s regional scouts.

“Our staff has done an excellent job evaluating talent at the under-18 level through our summer camps, at our three-game series against the United States in August and with their club teams throughout the season,” said Kingsbury. “We’re excited to head to Japan with 21 players who gained international experience in the summer, four players who can provide leadership from their experience at the 2018 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship and two new athletes who will without a doubt strengthen our team.”

Canada will open the 2019 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship against Sweden on Jan. 5 at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT. The schedule also has Canada matching up against the United States and Russia to round out the preliminary round on Jan. 7 and 8, respectively, before the tournament wraps up with the gold medal game at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT on Sunday, Jan. 13.

Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team will look to earn its first gold medal at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship since 2014, having won gold four times (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014), silver six times (2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017) and bronze once (2018).