Four Canadian Women's Players Retire From National Team

Becky Kellar, Carla Macleod, Colleen Sostorics, and Gina Kingsbury have all announced their retirement from Team Canada's national women's team.

The 35 year old Kellar played in all four Olympics that have featured women's hockey, joining Jennifer Botterill, Jayna Hefford and Hayley Wickenheiser as the only Canadians to do so. The 13 year veteran defender played with the national team for 13 years, scoring 13 goals and 39 assists in 173 official games. She was part of four world championships and three Olympic gold and one Olympic silver medals. Kellar will continue to play in the Canadian Women's Hockey League this season.

31 year old Sostorics won three Olympic gold medals (2002, 2006, 2010).With 14 goals and 43 assists in her international career, she is the third highest Canadian scorer amongst defenders all time, trailing only Geraldine Heaney and Therese Brisson.

MacLeod and Kingsbury are both just 28, and both won Olympic gold in 2006 and 2010. MacLeod, another defender, had 14 goals and 30 assists in 81 international contests. She was an all-star team at the 2006 Olympics and also the most valuable player of the 2009 world championships.

Kingsbury, a forward, had 30 goals and 45 assists in 116 international games and won three world titles. She has accepted an offer to become an assistant coach at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C.