No other program in the nation will be better represented in the 2017 IIHF Women's World Championship that starts Friday in Plymouth, Michigan than the University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team.  With 13 current and former players participating, the Bulldogs will have at least one representative on each of the eight teams in the tournament.

UMD will boast an NCAA-best five current players on four national team rosters, including sophomore goaltender Maddie Rooney, who will make her U.S. National Team debut in Plymouth.  Along with Rooney is two-time 2017 First Team All-American Lara Stalder, who will skate for Switzerland's National Team, and junior forward Katerina Mrázová, set to represent the Czech Republic's National Team.  The duo of Michelle Lowenhielm and Maria Lindh will suit up for Sweden's National Team -- both Stalder, Lindh and Lowenhielm are also 2014 Olympians.

The Canadian National Team will have three former Bulldogs in two different roles, starting with former two-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion, defenseman, and Olympic gold medalist, Jocelyne Larocque.  Canada's assistant captain, forward Hailey Irwin -- also a two-time Olympic gold medalist and 2008 NCAA champion -- will lead Canada on the ice, while two-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion (one as a player, one as a coach), and four-time Olympic gold medalist Caroline Ouellette will be behind Canada's bench as a Canada National Team assistant coach for the first time.  Five other former UMD players will hit the ice for their respective national teams, including German National Team goaltender, Olympian and 2010 NCAA champion Jennifer Harss, forward and Olympian Pernilla Winberg of Sweden's National Team, forwards and Olympians Aleksandra Vafina and Iya Gavrilova for the Russian National Team and Eveliina Suonpää of the Finnish National Team.

The tournament, which will run from March 31 through April 7, begins Friday with four games, including the final game of the opening day featuring the United States and Canda at  7:35 p.m. from USA Hockey Arena 1.  For more information or the tournament schedule, click here.