Hockey Canada has appointed Kori Cheverie as the head coach of the women's national hockey team. The current Montreal Victoire leader will guide the squad during the 2026 IIHF Women's World Championship in Denmark this November.
Ending the eight-game losing streak to the United States
The primary objective for Kori Cheverie will be reversing a troubling trend of dominance by the United States . According to the report, Canada has lost eight consecutive games to the U.S. over the last 18 months, a slide that includes heartbreaking losses in both the Olympic final and the world championship final. This drought has left the national program with silver medals from the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics and the previous world championships in Czechia.
Cheverie enters this role with a proven track record of success as a supporting pillar of the program. She previously secured Olympic gold as an assistant coach during the 2022 Beijing Games and contributed to first-place finishes at the world championships in 2021, 2022, and 2024. Having served under Troy Ryan for every major event since 2021, Cheverie is expected to maintain the program's high standards while finding the tactical edge necessary to defeat the Americans.
The synergy between Kori Cheverie and Caroline Ouellette
To stabilize the bench, Hockey Canada has surrounded Cheverie with a familiar support system. She will be joined by assistant coach Caroline Ouellette, who also serves as her assistant with the PWHL's Montreal Victoire, and Kris Sparre, the head coach of the PWHL's new expansion team in Hamilton. This blend of established national team experience and current professional league leadership is designed to create a seamless transition for the players.
The selection of this coaching staff was a collaborative effort by high-level executives .. As reported, the appointments were made by Daniele Sauvageau, the general manager of Canada's women's hockey program, alongside Scott Salmond, the senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and director of hockey operations Dylan Rockwell.
From New Glasgow yard sales to the national bench
Cheverie's ascent to the top of Canadian hockey is a narrative of grit and determination. Growing up in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Cheverie's entry into the sport was funded by a childhood yard sale to pay for equipment, as her single mother was starting a business with limited funds for extracurriculars. This early struggle, she notes, formed the foundation of the work ethic she now brings to the national team.
This trajectory serves as a powerful symbol for the next generation of female leaders in the sport.. Jennifer Marando, a coach for an under-15 girls AAA team in Dartmouth, and former Boston University defender Savannah Newton have both noted that Cheverie's appointment provides a "see her, be her" blueprint for young girls aspiring to leadership roles, whether in coaching or beyond the rink.
The PWHL's surge and the March All-Star event
The appointment of Kori Cheverie coinccides with a period of unprecedented growth for women's hockey in North America. The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) has seen a massive spike in popularity, culminating in the league's first-ever All-Star event scheduled for March. Cheverie herself has been a central figure in this rise, earning the PWHL Coach of the Year award for the 2025-26 season after leading the Montreal Victoire to consecutive regular-seaon championships.
By bridging the gap between the PWHL and the national team, Cheverie is positioned to leverage the increased professionalization of the sport. Her dual role allows her to integrate the high-intensity competition of the professional league directly into the preparation for the 2026 IIHF Women's World Championship, where Canada opens Group B play against Sweden on November 6.
What Bruce Cassidy brings as special assistant to Sauvageau
While the coaching staff is set, one of the more intriguing additions to the organizational chart is the role of Bruce Cassidy. The former Vegas Golden Knights head coach will serve as a special assistant to General Manager Daniele Sauvageau for the 2026-27 season. It remains unclear exactly how Cassidy's NHL experience will be integrated into the women's program or if his role will be purely advisory regarding high-performance operations .
The front office is further bolstered by the addition of Michael Hirshfeld of the Ottawa Charge and Manon Rheume of the PWHL's Detroit expansion team, who will both serve as assistant general managers. The interplay between these diverse backgrounds—ranging from NHL championship experience to PWHL expansion leadership—will be a key factor in whether Canada can reclaim its spot atop the podium.
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