USA women’s hockey players battle for the puck in Lake Placid. (Provided photo — ORDA)

LAKE PLACID — The USA Hockey Women’s Festival and the Girls National Under-18 Select Player Development Camp will return to Lake Placid from Aug. 3 to 9, showcasing all levels of the USA Hockey women’s program and serving as a key step in the selection process for upcoming international competition, including the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

At the conclusion of the Festival, USA Hockey will name 25-player rosters for both the U.S. Under-18 women’s select team and the U.S. Collegiate women’s select team. Both squads will face Team Canada in a three-game cross-border rivalry series at the Lake Placid Olympic Center on Aug. 13, 14 and 16.

The Women’s National Festival brings together 75 of the top women’s hockey players in the country, drawing from professional leagues and NCAA programs. This elite group ranges from Olympic veterans like Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Megan Keller and Alex Carpenter to rising stars such as Haley Winn, a Clarkson University graduate who was recently chosen as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft, and Casey O’Brien, the third pick in that draft.

The USA Hockey women’s national team is coming off its 11th IIHF Women’s World Championships title after beating Canada 4-3 in overtime in the final. Team USA has two Olympic gold medals to its credit, while Canada has won gold in five of the last six Olympic tournaments.

The U18 Select Camp features 46 of the nation’s top high school-aged players from across the country. These athletes are part of the next generation in the Team USA pipeline, with the camp serving as a key step in their development toward future national and Olympic team opportunities.

Following the USA Hockey Women’s National Festival and the Under-18 Development Camp, Team USA will take on Team Canada in a three-game series at both the U18 and Collegiate levels. Games will take place at the Olympic Center’s 1932 Jack Shea Arena and in the 1980 Herb Brooks Arena.