Breaking down Canada’s 2026 Olympic women’s hockey roster
We’re less than a month away from the beginning of the women’s ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and one of the sport’s most dominant nations has an immense amount of pressure on it.
Canada will arrive in Milan as the defending Olympic champions, having won gold in five of the first seven tournaments. However, the team isn’t as heavy a favorite as in years past. On top of falling to the rival United States in both meetings at last year’s IIHF Women’s World Championship, the Canadians were embarrassed in a four-game sweep during the latest Rivalry Series.
Yet, this group has a veteran core that has been there and done that. From Poulin and Desbiens to Ambrose and Fillier, there’s a lot of winning on Team Canada that will give them a chance to win it all again in Italy.
FORWARDS (13)
Emily Clark (OTT)
Sarah Fillier (NY)
Jenn Gardiner (VAN)
Julia Gosling (SEA)
Brianne Jenner (OTT)
Emma Maltais (TOR)
Sarah Nurse (TOR)
Kristin O’Neill (NY)
Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL)
Natalie Spooner (TOR)
Laura Stacey (MTL)
Blayre Turnbull (TOR)
Daryl Watts (TOR)
DEFENDERS (7)
Erin Ambrose (MTL)
Renata Fast (TOR)
Sophie Jaques (VAN)
Jocelyne Larocque (OTT)
Ella Shelton (TOR)
Kati Tabin (MTL)
Claire Thompson (VAN)
GOALTENDERS (3)
Ann-Renee Desbiens (MTL)
Emerance Maschmeyer (VAN)
Kayle Osborne (NY)
There aren’t many surprises with this Canadian roster. 21 players are back from the team that took home silver at last year’s IIHF Women’s World Championships, with 16 also returning from the 2022 squad that won gold in Beijing.
Poulin and Stacey are going to be driving forces offensively, and I expect the ever-creative Daryl Watts to get a chance to play on the top line with the power couple. I like the idea of placing Fillier on a line with Gardiner. There seems to be some potential chemistry with the two young stars, and with Fillier proving she can drive the play with whomever she plays with, Gardiner can be a finishing option, like she was with Poulin and Stacey last season with the Montreal Victoire.
A good contingent of the Toronto Sceptres, which was to be expected with Troy Ryan still in charge. Turnbull provides so much leadership and is such an effective two-way player. She really bolsters the bottom six, and the possibility that she might play with Emma Maltais and Natalie Spooner brings a camaraderie that few other lines have.
Speaking of Sceptres, Ella Shelton and Renata Fast will be crucial in Canada’s success in the tournament. Shelton is just solid in her own zone and is an important player on special teams, both on the power play and penalty kill. Fast, the reigning PWHL Defender of the Year, has got wheels comparable to a winger, giving her an elevated skillset that makes her dangerous everywhere on the ice.
I wasn’t sure if Brianne Jenner was going to be a highly-regarded member of this season, but how she has played for the Ottawa Charge this season, it’s clear the veteran will bring some secondary scoring that’s required for a team to be successful in a short tournament. Kristin O’Neill has certainly done that for Canada in the past, having scored five points in each of the past two Women’s Worlds, even though she’s mainly been in the bottom six.
I’m really excited to see what Jaques can do in the Olympics. Her Vancouver Goldeneyes teammate, Claire Thompson, has proven to be an exceptional asset, especially during the 2022 Winter Games. Yet, this will be Jaques’ first chance to show her stuff on the Olympic stage. She was certainly Canada’s best player during the Rivalry Series, and you know, is chomping at the bit to prove herself in Milan.
Speaking of Vancouver, Nurse has been added to the roster, though she hasn’t played since the Goldeneyes’ inaugural game in November. She remains on long-term injured reserve, with no timetable for her return. If she isn’t 100%, general manager Gina Kingsbury and head coach Troy Ryan are going to have to make a tough decision.
The goaltending situation is exactly how it has been for several years. Desbiens and Maschmeyer will hold the net, with Desbiens holding the No. 1 spot. You have to wonder how many more years we’ll see this tandem together on the international stage. Sirens’ backstop Kayle Osborne gets the nod as the No. 3 goaltender, even though Minnesota Duluth’s Eve Gascon had been with the national team last year in Czechia. Osborne saw a little bit of action earlier in the Rivalry Series, but has been lights out in New York’s push toward the top of the PWHL standings.
Biggest Reach
As someone who has been very high on Chloe Primerano for a long time, I was almost certain that the 19-year-old was going to get a chance to play on the Olympic stage this year. Yet, Kingsbury has elected to go with Victoire blueliner Kati Tabin instead. You can sort of see what the Canadian brass is looking at with the Winnipeg native. smaller ice in Milan, which could benefit someone of Tabin’s playing style. However, with all of the speed that the Americans have, you need skill and talent to keep up with it.
Primerano is such a dynamic player, and if she’s allowed to spread her wings, she can be something comparable to a Jaques or Caroline Harvey. Tabin isn’t going to provide as much offensive support on the back end. Clearly, Canada is seeking a more rustic approach in order to try and slow down a U.S. team that filled the net earlier this year.
Biggest Omission
Aside from Primerano and Gascon, the only player I think many of us thought might crack the roster is Hannah Miller. Remember, she was held off Canada’s roster at last year’s WWC because of the IIHF’s two-year waiting rule for a player to change nations, as Miller had played for China at the 2022 Olympics. That came near the end of a terrific season with the Toronto Sceptres, where Miller finished sixth in the league in scoring.
However, in joining the Goldeneyes, the North Vancouver native, like the team around her, hasn’t found the same offensive touch, scoring just a goal and five points in 10 games. I think there’s still plenty of upside to her game, and she probably could’ve been a solid depth scoring option for Team Canada if given the opportunity.
Burning Question
Will Canada’s experience outmatch USA’s speed?
As we see with this group, there is a lot of hardware on this Canadian roster, with many players having been part of the team that won gold in Beijing four years ago. However, the one thing Canada doesn’t have as much as the rival Americans is wheels. From Wisconsin stars Kirsten Simms and Caroline Harvey to Kendall Coyne Schofield and Hannah Bilka, it’s going to be tough to slow down a lot of the American squad.
That said, Canada knows what it takes to win on the biggest of stages, even if the core might be getting a little bit older. It’s most likely come down to the North American powers in the final, so if Canada can put together a strong effort when it matters most, they can bring home another gold medal.
Projected Lines
Daryl Watts – Marie-Philip Poulin – Laura Stacey
Jenn Gardiner – Sarah Nurse – Sarah Fillier
Emma Maltais – Blayre Turnbull – Natalie Spooner
Julia Gosling – Kristin O’Neill – Brianne Jenner
Hannah Miller – Caitlin Kraemer
Claire Thompson – Sophie Jaques
Ella Shelton – Renata Fast
Jocelyne Larocque – Chloe Primerano
Nicole Gosling – Erin Ambrose
Ann-Renée Desbiens
Emerance Maschmeyer
Kayle Osborne
Canada opens up Group A play on Feb. 5 against Finland.