Saskatchewan players oldest, youngest on Canadian women's hockey team
Hayley Wickenheiser, 37, and Emily Clark, 20, will both play for Canada
Saskatchewan athletes will hold the title of the oldest and youngest players when the Canadian women's hockey team hits the ice at the world championship.
Hockey Canada announced the host country's 23-player roster Monday for the tournament from March 28 to April 4 at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, B.C.
The pride of Shaunavon, Sask., Hayley Wickenheiser, will be lacing up for her 13th world championship. She is Canada's all-time leading scorer but there were questions surrounding whether or not she'd play after having a season-ending surgery last year.
Wickenheiser played in the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, with a broken bone in her foot. She then had a screw surgically implanted in it, but pain continued to follow her. In February 2015, she had a plate and eight screws inserted in her left foot and has recovered well.
Wickenheiser started on Saskatchewan's ice before becoming the first woman to play full-time professional hockey in a position other than goalie. She is also a five-time Olympic medalist.
But at 37-years-old, Wickenheiser is a full 17 years older than the youngest player on the team, Emily Clark.
Clark, 20, grew up playing hockey in Saskatoon. She made her debut with Canada's gold-winning women's national team at the 2014 Four Nations. She is a member of the Wisconsin Badgers women's ice hockey team which represents the University of Wisconsin.