Chloé Primerano’s debut with Canada’s Senior Women’s National Team is just one of the highlights of this week’s Canada/US Rivalry Series games.

In recent years, the series has been a highlight of the women’s hockey calendar – one of the only opportunities for fans to see many of the sport’s best players in action outside of the world championship or Olympics.

This year the scene is a little different. With the Second PWHL season expanded from 24 to 30 games and scheduled to kick off on November 30, the series was reduced from a best-of-seven to a best-of-five. The first three matches will be played in the United States this week, with the final two taking place in Canada in February.

The Rivalry Series is a golden opportunity for national team coaches John Wroblewski of Team USA and Troy Ryan of Canada to take a look at players who could be in contention for spots in the The roster for the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship, which takes place April 24-24. 9-20 in Czechia. At this point, they also start thinking about the Winter Olympics in Italy in 2026.

The spotlight is therefore on the college players on the rosters of both teams.

Chloé Primerano impresses

For Canada, it’s just one player: 17-year-old defender Chloe Primerano. After graduating from high school a year early, the University of Minnesota freshman showed why she’s touted as a future star with a dazzling shootout goal that gave Canada a 5-game win -4 against the United States, Friday evening in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Originally from North Vancouver. In British Columbia, Primerano follows in the footsteps of the last two first-round NHL draft picks, Connor Bedard and Mackline Celebrini, who hail from the same hometown.

Primerano’s name became widely known in hockey circles after his U15 season on a Burnaby Winter Club men’s team. She became the first skater to be selected in a CHL prospect draft when she was chosen 268th overall by the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League in May 2022.

Primerano attended two Giants training camps, in 2022 and 2023, and played for the Rink Hockey Academy U18 girls team in Kelowna for two seasons. Both years she was named MVP of his CSSHL league.

Last January, Primerano wore the uniform for the first time at the U18 Women’s World Cup in Switzerland. Again, she was named MVP while she set a record for defensemen with eight goals and eight assists for 16 points in just six games, and had a plus-18 rating. Canada had to settle for a bronze medal after a 4-2 loss to the Czechs in the semi-final.

As a rookie in Minnesota, Primerano is 1-5-6 in 10 games for the Golden Gophers, who are ranked third in the nation with an 8-3-1 record.

“Being a minor, 17 years old and all the hype she has, I think she certainly lived up to expectations,” said Team USA forward Grace Zumwinkle, who herself scored two times Friday evening.

A former Gophers co-captain and 2024 PWHL Rookie of the Year with the Minnesota Frost, Zumwinkle watched Primerano at her alma mater while training in her home state ahead of her second professional season.

“Before you get to college, it’s a learning curve, not just on the ice, but socially,” she added. “I think there are a lot of girls who mentor her and take her under their wing, and I think she has nothing but a bright future ahead of her. I’m curious to see how it will continue to evolve and develop.

American college students are at the forefront

Zumwinkle’s American team has nine NCAA players on its roster. That list includes 2024 Women’s World MVP Laila Edwards, a junior who leads the nation with 13 goals for top-ranked Wisconsin. Even with that undeniable scoring touch, Wroblewski is experimenting with the 6-foot-1, 20-year-old on the blue line for the Rivalry Series. She has two assists in the first two matches.

Other notable college players on Team USA include Edwards’ Wisconsin teammate, Lacey Eden, who scored twice in the Americans’ 7-2 loss to Canada in San Jose on Wednesday. Penn State’s Tessa Jannecke recorded three assists and Primerano’s Minnesota teammate, senior Abbey Murphy, had two goals and an assist.

Knight time

U.S. captain Hilary Knight, 35, did not dress for the first match in San Jose. But she scored two goals in the third period Friday, erasing a 4-1 deficit and forcing overtime.

All eyes will be on Knight, a native of Sun Valley, Idaho, for this week’s finale. For the for the first timeTHE most decorated player in women’s hockey history will have the opportunity to be a part of Team USA in her home state in Game 3 Sunday at Idaho Central Arena in Boise.