Canadian women’s hockey team to play U.S. in Moncton, Victoria and Vancouver

CALGARY—The Canadian women’s hockey team will host the United States in Moncton, N.B., Victoria and Vancouver this winter.

The Rivalry Series between the two countries has been expanded from its inaugural three games in February to five in 2019-20.

The series opens Dec. 14 in Hartford, Conn., before heading to Moncton on Dec. 17.

The circuit resumes Feb. 3 in Victoria followed by a Feb. 5 date in Vancouver’s Rogers Arena before concluding Feb. 8 in Anaheim.

Canada took the first Rivalry Series against the U.S., rebounding from a 1-0 loss in London, Ont., with 4-3 and 2-0 victories in Toronto and Detroit, respectively.

The two countries are also playing exhibition games against each other Nov. 8 and Nov. 10 at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township, Pa., as part of a joint camp.

Both Hockey Canada and USA Hockey are trying to backfill the schedules of their national women’s teams with more competition because of the shuttering of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League and the refusal of most of their players to join the U.S.-based NWHL.

The annual international Four Nations Cup in November involving Canada, the U.S., Sweden and Finland was cancelled this year because the host Swedish women’s team is in a dispute with its federation.

Canada is the host team of the 2020 women’s world hockey championship March 31 to April 10 in Halifax and Truro, N.S.