Status of Wickenheiser, Ouellette uncertain at world hockey championship

OTTAWA – Canadian captain Hayley Wickenheiser and assistant captain Caroline Ouellette both have upper-body injuries at the women’s world hockey championship.

A decision on whether they can play Wednesday against Switzerland will be made prior to the game, according to head coach Dan Church.

“They’ll be day to day. Probably for both of them a game-time decision,” he said after the team’s pre-game skate.

Wickenheiser skated to the bench and walked to the locker-room in the second period of Canada’s 3-2 shootout win over the United States on Tuesday night. The Canadian team’s all-time leading scorer did not return or speak to reporters following the game.

“It’s not something that’s completely debilitating, but we’ll have to see as the day goes on how she’s feeling,” the coach said.

Wickenheiser injured her knee during the Canadian university women’s championship and didn’t play in the final for the University of Calgary Dinos.

Canada trailed 2-0 when Wickenheiser left the game but rallied for the shootout victory. Ouellette remained in the lineup the entire game and didn’t appear to be in obvious pain when she spoke to reporters.

Switzerland has never come close to beating Canada in women’s hockey, but Church insisted that didn’t make him more likely to scratch his two leaders against the Swiss.

“I think I respect the Swiss enough that I would play my best lineup against them,” Church said. “I think we have to get better every day as a group and if we have everybody available and healthy, we would play everybody.”