Kirk, Larocque named to Team Canada camp

Two of Canada’s best 48 women’s hockey players are from Ste Anne, as goaltender Raygan Kirk and defender Jocelyne Larocque were selected to take part in Team Canada’s September camp.

The duo are no stranger to Team Canada, with both making camps in previous years.

Larocque has been a mainstay in international play since 2006, when she won a gold medal with Canada’s under-22 team. She bounced back from missing the cut of the 2010 Olympic roster to notch two golds and a silver medal at the last three Olympic Games.

Kirk is looking to break through on Canada’s main roster, after winning a gold medal in the U18 championships in 2018. She graduated university this season in style, backstopping Ohio State to a national championship before getting drafted to the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to evaluate the depth of talent in our player pool and set the tone for the upcoming season,” Team Canada general manager Gina Kingsbury said in a news release.

“We will also continue to grow and build on our identity as a team as we prepare for the Rivalry Series and ultimately the IIHF Women’s World Championship next April in Czechia.”

The camp will be hosted in Brock University, across the lake from Toronto, the professional home of Kirk, Larocque and Kingsbury. Canada’s women’s international schedule will kick off in November with a series of games against the United States.