A rising star at just 23 years old, Taylor Heise is poised to become the new face of Team USA women’s hockey. (Photo by Mia Jones/Cronkite News)

TEMPE – Arizonans have witnessed many major sporting events take over the state’s arenas over the years. However, they will see something many have never seen before when the United States women’s national hockey team takes on Canada in the 2023-24 Rivalry Series, with the first of seven games taking place Wednesday night at Mullett Arena.

The clash between Team Canada and Team USA is as fierce and heated as any rivalry in any sport. It dates back several decades, with the two teams facing each other countless times in the past and especially, inevitably, in the final rounds of Olympics and tournaments. In fact, all but one year of the women’s Olympic gold medal matches were between the two countries.

It all started in Nagano, Japan, when the 1998 Olympics featured women’s teams in an ice hockey competition for the first time. The Canadian team was heavily favored, crushing all competitors in almost every tournament for years, with the American team always in second place.

But in the 1998 gold medal game, the United States upset Canada, forging a rivalry that would become even more heated over the years.

Since then, we’ve seen the United States win in thrilling fashion in Pyeongchang in 2018, ending a 20-year gold medal drought they had experienced up until that point. We also saw someone like Marie-Philip Poulin score a thrilling overtime goal in Sochi in 2014, giving Canada gold for the fourth year in a row. Now, some of the same players who have put many on their feet countless times appear in the Valley as the rivalry exhibition series kicks off at Mullett Arena.

For many, this will be the first time they see some of the sport’s greatest athletes in person, as well as the intense clash between the two rivals. Here are four players to watch throughout the game.

Hillary Knight:

Perhaps the best player Team USA has ever produced, Hilary Knight prepares to face Canada once again as one of the team’s oldest players. The 34-year-old forward has played numerous seasons with Team USA since 2006, most recently last season where she scored 12 points in seven games last year. Eight of those points were goals.

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Knight is ready to play with her American teammates again for the first time since April. The U.S. team hasn’t been in action for some time, with many young players playing for colleges.

“Some of us have played or not played games recently,” Knight said. “Some players are in college and some aren’t, so we’re just at the combination of those two groups. We also work together towards a common goal and push the boundaries. We had a quick point of contact in August during camp, but we haven’t played together in forever it seems. “It’s a great opportunity to get some touches and also some high-level competition and really put our stamp on this game.”

Knight played with several women’s teams during her career. Most recently, she played in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) with Team Minnesota. She will play in the new Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) in January with the Boston team.

Knight has represented the United States at the highest level, winning a total of 17 medals between the Olympics and the International Ice Hockey Federation. She has never won a medal lower than silver and is tied with Hayley Wickenheiser for the most medals won in the IIHF by a women’s hockey player.

A fast, highly offensive player who can score at will, Knight has been on Team Canada’s radar for decades. She’s still the most recognizable player on Team USA, and perhaps the deadliest. Fans will need to keep an eye on her, as Canada might have trouble stopping her and she could have a big impact on the game.

Taylor Heise:

From one of the oldest players in the United States to one of the newest, Taylor Heise, a 23-year-old forward, could be the next face of women’s hockey in the United States. A Minnesota native, Heise played five seasons for the University of Minnesota, where she accumulated 225 points in 172 games as a Golden Gopher, including back-to-back 60+ point seasons. She led the NCAA in points in 2022 and goals the following year. She was also named WCHA Player of the Year in both of those seasons.

Ultimately, she was the consensus first overall pick for the newly founded PWHL. In a twist of fate, the first pick went to the Minnesota team who then drafted Heise. While she is still honored by the accomplishment, she is looking forward to playing with Team USA again.

“I’m very grateful,” Heise said. “I think most people would think it’s pressure, but you know, pressure is a privilege and I try to accept it every day and run with it. The project is a thing of the past. I think about it here and there but it’s the present and I’m here with a great group of girls that I love.

“They’re my best friends, so it’s fun to train here with the best and know you’ll get the most out of our teams and Canada.” We’re really excited to put some good product on the ice on Wednesday.

Similar to Knight, Heise is a lethal scorer, as she has scored 29 goals in each of her last two seasons with Minnesota. However, she is also known for racking up assists, as she showed during the last IIHF tournament with Team USA, where she recorded 11 assists in seven matches. She is a very talented player and her performance on Wednesday could open her eyes even more.

In an epic showdown at Mullett Arena, Team USA takes on Team Canada in the highly anticipated 2023-24 Rivalry Series. (Photo by Mia Jones/Cronkite News)

Marie-Philippe Poulin:

Marie-Philip Poulin was named the best female hockey player by The Sports Network (TSN) and is now putting her talent to good use at Mullett Arena as captain of Team Canada. Poulin began his hockey career at Boston University and scored over 50 points in consecutive seasons as a Terrier.

Poulin, a 32-year-old forward, spent the next eight seasons playing in the CWHL and PWHPA, most with teams based in Montreal. She also played several times with Canada’s IIHF and Olympic team, earning her the nickname “Captain Clutch” due to her performance at the Sochi Winter Olympics, where she scored two goals, including the overtime winner in the gold medal game against the United States. She stood out again in the 2021 IIHF gold medal game by scoring the game-winning overtime goal for Canada.

Poulin is a frequent foe of Team USA and is excited to be part of a new chapter in the rivalry between the two countries.

“It doesn’t get old, that’s for sure,” Poulin said. “It’s still so exciting. In recent years we have played together and against each other. It’s just fun. I think there’s so much respect there. You play against the best. You play with the best against them. This is how we improve. This is how we make women’s hockey better every day. It’s always fun to play against them.

Poulin will see most of Team USA’s players again in January when the PWHL begins its inaugural season. She played an integral role in the creation of the league as she and others worked to build a stable and successful women’s hockey league. She signed with the Montreal team in September.

The Quebecer was present in many important moments for Canada thanks to her elite two-way play. It will be exciting for many to see what she can do in person with her reputation as one of the best hockey players of all time.

SarahNurse:

Sarah Nurse, 28, helped popularize women’s football on and off the ice. The Canadian forward from Hamilton, Canada, played collegiately with the University of Wisconsin, where her scoring increased each season until reaching a high of 53 points in her final year with the Badgers.

After graduating, Nurse took his talents to the CWHL and PWHPA before joining the newly founded PWHL by signing a contract with the Toronto team. She has also played with Team Canada several times during her career, including in the 2022 Winter Olympics where she scored the first goal in the gold medal game against Team USA and set up two Olympic women’s hockey records for most points and assists scored in a tournament. Nurse finished the Olympics 22 with 18 points.

Nurse played an important role in the growth of women’s hockey. For the past two years, the forward has been on the cover of an EA Sports NHL game. She also worked with Mattel and Tim Hortons to create a hockey Barbie doll based on her which was also featured in the Barbie movie. Finally, she participated in the 2023 NHL All-Star Contest where she scored an impressive goal on NHL goaltender Igor Shesterkin.

Nurse has seen the sport grow and is happy with the respect it now commands.

“I think the biggest thing I’ve seen is the respect for women’s soccer over the last few years,” Nurse said. “I’ve seen it grow exponentially and not only from my peers at the professional level, from ownership at the NHL level, but also just from this local level of youth minor hockey. Little boys look at girls and say, “Oh, you can be professional hockey players too,” and I think the respect factor has increased so much.

Nurse is more of a playmaker, but she has excellent hands for impressive fakes and moves. Playing with high profile players like Poulin could result in a fantastic matchup for Nurse and her popularity within the hockey community will draw many eyes to her.

It’s an exciting time for women’s hockey as the sport’s biggest rivalry takes place at Mullett Arena. Arizona is one of the largest markets for women’s hockey in the United States. The Arizona Kachinas (the Arizona Coyotes’ premier women’s hockey team) have had teams compete in national championships and the ASU women’s hockey team has been one of the top teams of the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Women’s Division I league.