DULUTH —
and
might be a little late to class this fall.
The
Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey
stars are among the 30 players invited to take part in Hockey Canada’s national teams orientation camp Aug. 26-28 in Calgary, Alberta. Classes at UMD begin Aug. 25.
Only three current college players were invited to camp this month in the build-up to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The other NCAA player is Minnesota sophomore defenseman Chloe Primerano.
Gascon, one of four goaltenders invited, is entering her junior season with the Bulldogs coming off a sophomore season in which she was named a first-team All-American and
the WCHA Goaltender of the Year
after posting a .942 save percentage. She was with the Canadian Women’s National Team in the spring — but didn’t play —
when it won gold at the IIHF Women’s World Championship.
Minnesota Duluth forward Caitlin Kraemer (11) shoots the puck against St. Cloud State defenseman Grace Wolfe (8) during the first round of the WCHA tournament Feb. 28 at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group
Kraemer, one of 16 forwards, enters her sophomore season in 2025-26 as the reigning Julie Chu Rookie of the Year (the best freshman in the NCAA in 2024-25), having led all freshmen in goals with 18. She had 31 points total and also claimed the title of WCHA Rookie of the Year.
In addition to Kraemer and Gascon, former Bulldogs defenseman Jocelyne Larocque is back seeking her fourth trip to the Olympics and third gold medal at age 37. Fellow defenseman Ashton Bell, a member of the 2022 Canadian Olympic gold medal team along with Larocque, was not invited to this month’s camp.
One former Bulldog who already knows she’ll be in Italy for the next Winter Games is Caroline Ouellette, who has been named an assistant coach for the 2026 Canadian Olympic team.
UMD’s 2025-26 season gets underway
with a two-week road trip out east to play at Mercyhurst on Sept. 19-20 and at Syracuse on Sept. 25-26. The 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy, are scheduled for Feb. 6-22.
If Gascon and Kraemer make the Canadian Olympic team, they would miss the Bulldogs’ final month — six games — of the regular season, at least, depending on when they would need to report. UMD wraps up January at Ohio State. February consists of home series with Bemidji State and St. Thomas, and a trip to Minnesota to close the regular season.
Bulldogs taking part in Swedish, Finnish Olympic camps
Minnesota Duluth defenseman Ida Karlsson (24) skates with the puck against St. Cloud State during the first round of the WCHA tournament Feb. 28 at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group
Sweden wrapped up an Olympic camp last week that consisted of former UMD goaltender Emma Soderberg, senior transfer
out of Mercyhurst and junior defenseman Ida Karlsson.
UMD senior defenseman
a transfer from Minnesota, is also expected to take part in an upcoming Olympic camp for Finland, putting five Bulldogs in play for the 2026 Olympics in Italy during the final month of the regular season.
UMD lands first 2027-28 recruit
Gigi Martin of Santa Ana, California, and the Bishop Kearney Selects hockey program in Rochester, New York,
committed to the Bulldogs over the weekend.
She’s the first commitment for UMD from the 2027-28 freshmen class that became eligible to commit to NCAA schools on Aug. 1.
According to UMD’s list of all-time alumni,
four Californians have previously played at UMD.
UMD will have three from BK Selects on its roster in 2025-26 in freshman forward
redshirt senior captain
and fifth-year senior defenseman
a transfer from Cornell.
Co-host of the Bulldog Insider Podcast and college hockey reporter for the Duluth News Tribune covering the Minnesota Duluth men’s and women’s hockey programs.