Canada and U.S. to face off in Halifax Thursday for Game 4 of Rivalry Series

U.S. goaltender Aerin Frankel stretches out to block a shot by Canada's Laura Stacey during the first period of a women's Rivalry Series hockey game at the Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Kyle Green) (Kyle Green/AP)

Team Canada and Team USA are facing off in Halifax Thursday night in Game 4 of the Rivalry Series.

The Canadian and American national women’s hockey teams are competing in the five-game series, which has two Canadian stops – Halifax on Thursday and Summerside, P.E.I., on Saturday.

The first three games were played in the United States in November, with Canada taking a 2-1 series lead.

Twenty-one of the 25 players hitting the ice in Halifax and Summerside suited up for the American leg of the series – including Olympic gold medalist Blayre Turnbull from Stellarton, N.S., who is playing in her sixth Rivalry Series. Turnbull has one goal and two assists so far this series.

“For me being from Nova Scotia, I obviously haven’t had many opportunities to play at home in a game like this, so to be able to be here in front of a home crowd full of family and friends, I’m really looking forward to it,” said Turnbull in an interview with CTV Atlantic’s Suzette Belliveau.

“And I know my teammates are super excited to experience the Maritime hospitality as well.”

Turnbull is not the only Maritimer repping the maple leaf. She’ll be joined by head coach Troy Ryan from Spryfield, N.S., and assistant coach Kori Cheverie from New Glasgow, N.S. Cheverie, who is a head coach in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) for the Montréal Victoire, was the first woman to serve as a coach for one of Canada’s national men’s teams.

Forward Laura Stacey, from Kleinburg, Ont., leads the series with four points, scoring two goals and two assists. Grace Zumwinkle tops the leaderboard for the Americans, with two goals and one assist.

The Rivalry Series was first played during the 2018 – 2019 season and is the result of a partnership between Hockey Canada and USA Hockey.