Chloe Primerano is proving why she's one of the top young hockey players in Canada.
And she's doing so on the biggest stage of her career to date.
The Burnaby Winter Club alumna currently leads the Canadians with nine points, including five goals and four assists, after winning all three preliminary matches at the 2024 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championships.
That's also the most points of any other player at the annual tournament thus far.
This included a hat-trick for Primerano in Canada's 10-0 rout of Finland on Tuesday, Jan. 9, becoming the first defender ever to score three goals at the U18 women's worlds.
"I didn't know that and it feels pretty good," she said in an interview with IIHF. "But I couldn't have done it without my teammates. They set me up pretty well."
The 17-year-old from North Vancouver also notched a five-point performance in her international debut — two goals and three assists in an 11-0 victory over Germany last Saturday, Jan. 6.
She also scored a goal in Canada's second match, which resulted in an 8-1 win over Czechia.
Primerano's skills have aided Canada to the top spot in its group ahead of the medal round. The team is looking to three-peat as champions after scoring gold in 2022 and 2023.
Canada will face the loser of the Switzerland-Slovakia game today, Jan. 10, in a quarterfinal match on Thursday, Jan. 11.
Primerano made history in 2022 with her 13th-round selection to the Vancouver Giants in the WHL Prospects Draft — the first female skater to be taken in any Canadian major junior league draft.
She's since participated in two Giants WHL training camps and currently suits up for RINK Hockey Academy in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL).
Before moving to Kelowna, Primerano appeared in 30 games with Burnaby Winter Club's U15 prep squad during the 2021-22 season, notching two goals and 17 assists for 19 points, and added two more helpers in three CSSHL playoff matches.
She also tallied eight points in six games a year earlier with BWC's U15 varsity squad.
