They include Arrowtown-based Gabby Mills and Queenstowner Caitlin Hollyer, who both played for the Fernz at the Division 2 Group B world champs in Turkey in April, where they finished fourth.
Also going are Queenstown-based Fernz newcomers Kellye Nelson and Aoife Orr, Fairlie-based Gracie Hellmrich and Arrowtown-based manager Rebecca Dobson, who also went to Turkey.
Aoife, who’s just turned 17 and attends Wakatipu High, will also be in NZ’s under-18 women’s team next year.
Wild’s captain, United States-raised Nelson — who, like Mills, brought up 50 games for the Wild this past season — is new to the Fernz as she only got an NZ passport this year.
Dobson says "the girls are very excited to be heading over and playing against our closest rivals, this will be great experience and preparation for the upcoming world champs that are being held in Dunedin next April".
"The girls benefit from the exposure of playing against top national teams, and it will better prepare them for the level of competition that is required."
The Fernz games will be livestreamed on the NZ Ice Hockey Federation Facebook page at, NZ time, 7pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday.
