QUÉBEC — Hockey Canada clarified Saturday that forward Sarah Nurse did not decline an invitation to the national team’s camp ahead of the upcoming women’s world championship, but instead was unable to attend.
The organization announced a roster change Thursday in a social media post on the first day of camp in Quebec City and did not provide a reason. Nurse was replaced by college forward Alexia Aubin.
“There may be circumstances that have changed between when we announced the team and now, leading to the replacement,” Canadian team general manager Daniele Sauvageau told reporters at camp on Friday.
Nurse was one of 48 players originally invited to attend the camp at Videotron Centre, Hockey Canada announced Sept. 28.
Neither the organization nor Nurse’s PWHL team, the Vancouver Goldeneyes, provided details on why Nurse was unable to participate. A message left with Nurse’s agent was not immediately returned.
Canada’s world championship team of 25 players will be selected from the group invited to the seven-day camp.
When asked for details about the roster change last Thursday night, a Hockey Canada spokesperson said Nurse had declined the invite and the organization respected her decision. Since Nurse was on the initial invite list, she was still a part of the team’s process through camp, the spokesperson added in the email.
Nurse, a three-time Olympian, set a tournament points and assists record en route to gold at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. She helped Canada’s women win world championships in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
The 31-year-old missed almost eight weeks of the Goldeneyes’ first PWHL season after her arm was injured in the season opener. Nurse scored the first goal in franchise history in that game.
Aubin, from Lévis, Que., is a junior at Colgate University. The 20-year-old played for Canada’s development team in a three-game summer series against the United States.
The women’s world championship will be played in Esbjerg and Herning, Denmark, beginning Nov 6. The U.S. is the defending champion.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2026.
The Canadian Press