Two current University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey players -- Ève Gascon and Caitlin Kraemer -- along with former Bulldog All-American Jocelyne Larocque, have been invited to attend Canada's National Teams Orientation Camp, set for August 26-28 in Calgary.


Gascon and Kraemer are two of just three college players invited to the camp -- Gascon one of four goaltenders and Kraemer one of 16 forwards. 


A junior goaltender from Mascouche, Quebec, Gascon was named to her first Canadian National Team World Championship roster this past April. Named to the 2024-25 All-USCHO First Team, Gascon was also named a First Team 2024-25 CCM/AHCA Women's Division I All-American. Gascon's outstanding sophomore UMD season also earned her Western Collegiate Hockey Association Goaltender of the Year honors, and she was a finalist for the HCA National Women's Goalie of the Year. Gascon averaged 29.8 saves a game this season and 12 times made 32 or more saves in a game, and six games of 40 or more stops. Twice the WCHA's Goaltender of Month (December and September), December's HCA Goaltender of the Month, and a three-time WCHA Goaltender of the Week, Gascon finished the season with a .942 saves percentage -- a tie for the seventh highest in a single-season at UMD, and her 896 saves ranks as the 7th most saves in a single season in program history -- just one stop from the sixth slot. 


In just two seasons as a Bulldog, Gascon already owns spots on career lists with the highest saves percentage (.944), seventh most saves (1,513), fifth-best goals against (1.75) and is in a tie for the sixth most shutouts (11). Gascon also became sixth goaltender in Bulldogs history to now have two or more career NCAA wins after her NCAA First Round effort on March 13.


Kraemer was named the USCHO Rookie of the Year, as well as to the All-USCHO Rookie Team.  A product of Waterloo, Ontario, Kraemer was named the HCA 2025 Julie Chu Rookie of the Year, the first-ever Bulldog to pocket the honor and branding her the best rookie in all of NCAA Division I hockey. Kraemer lived up to every bit of her prep hype and led all freshman nationally with 18 goals, two shorthanded tallies -- both rookie-highs in the NCAA -- and was second with seven power play goals and four game-winning goals. In all, Kraemer had 13 assists to pair with her 18 goals for 31 points, tying her for the 16th most by a freshman in UMD program history. The center also becomes just the 13th rookie to log 18 or more goals, and was the first freshman since Gabbie Hughes in 2018-19 to clear the 30 point in her first collegiate season as a Bulldog.


Kraemer was third in scoring for UMD this season, and was named UMD's third-ever Western Collegiate Hockey Association Rookie the Year two weeks ago after posting the ninth-most goals in the WCHA this season. Kraemer ranked third in the WCHA for power play goals and fifth in the NCAA. Three times the WCHA's Rookie of the Month (February, November, September), the rookie center was the WCHA Rookie of the Week a whopping four times. Eight times this season, Kraemer rung up two or more points in a game, including two assists in her first NCAA Tournament and her first collegiate hat trick on Nov. 30 against Vermont.


Larocque is a long-time stalwart of Canada hockey and already a three-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist. The former Bulldog All-American defenseman and 2010 NCAA champion currently players for the PWHL's Ottawa Charge, and was the third player taken in the first-ever PWHL Draft in 2023.


The trio of current and former Bulldogs will be coached by another UMD women's hockey legend and legend to all of international hockey -- four-time Olympic gold medalist Caroline Ouellette, who has been named an assistant coach for Canada for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.


The National Teams Orientation Camp is a three-day, off-ice event with players and staff from all three programs, which will include presentations, team-building opportunities, team meetings and media opportunities in preparation for the upcoming season.


On the women's side, 30 players – four goaltenders, 10 defenders and 16 forwards – will be a part of Canada's National Women's Team throughout the 2025-26 season, with players participating in training blocks and attending events during the year. The players were selected by general manager Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC/Toronto, PWHL), head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, NS/Toronto, PWHL) and Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON), senior manager of player development and scouting. Assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, NS/Montréal, PWHL), Ouellette (Montréal, QC/Concordia University, RSEQ) and Britni Smith (Port Perry, ON/Syracuse University, AHA), along with goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, AB/Toronto, PWHL), also provided input.


Canada is the defending Olympic champions after winning the gold in the 2022 Olympic Games. 17 of those players -- including Larocque -- have been invited to camp.