Twenty-five players will compete for the Canadian women’s hockey team at the Rivalry Series later this week, as Hockey Canada moves closer to naming the players who will look to defend gold at the Olympics.

With fewer than 100 days to go until the best female hockey players in the world descend on Milan, Italy, this year’s Canada-U.S. Rivalry Series will be a crucial test for players who are on the edge of making the roster.

It’s also a rare chance for the team to experiment with line combinations and chemistry, as the Canadians will have only four games together before the Olympics begin in February.

The first leg of the Rivalry Series begins Thursday in Cleveland, Ohio, followed by a game on Saturday in Buffalo, N.Y.

The Rivalry Series will conclude with two games in Edmonton on Dec.

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