Canada’s women’s hockey team is set to wear an unfamiliar uniform at the world championship in Denmark, with a commercial-rights dispute keeping its newly introduced Bauer jerseys off the tournament ice.

A photograph from the November 5 media day shows goaltender Kayle Osborne in a red jersey bearing Canada’s name across the chest rather than the familiar Maple Leaf crest, according to The Canadian Press. The image was distributed by the International Ice Hockey Federation.

The change follows Hockey Canada’s November 4 announcement that its team had been instructed to wear jerseys designed by the IIHF and its supplier. The organization said its players remained focused on representing Canada at the tournament.

The dispute concerns control of national teams’ uniform designs and the commercial rights attached to them. Hockey Canada has an existing relationship with Bauer, while the IIHF announced a partnership with True Hockey in October 2025, intended to take effect for the 2026-27 season.

Separate reporting by The Athletic says the Canadian and American teams will both wear generic uniforms in Denmark. The publication reports that their existing designs and official marks cannot be used by True Hockey while the rights dispute continues. USA Hockey has its own agreement with CCM.

The Athletic also reported that no decisions had been reached on subsequent events, including the world junior championship. The arrangement for this tournament should therefore not be read as a settled design policy for every future Canadian national team appearance.

Canada is scheduled to open against Sweden on November 6. The jersey change affects what supporters will see on the ice, while the broader disagreement over national-team branding remains unresolved.

Sources