2026 Olympic Women’s Hockey Preview: Canada
When Canada hits the ice in women’s hockey at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics, they won’t be the favorites.
Despite having five Olympic gold medals in the program’s history, the red and white are fighting an uphill battle as underdogs against Team USA, unlike they ever have before.
Led by Toronto Sceptres head coach Troy Ryan, Hockey Canada is sending a veteran-heavy group to the tournament, featuring 16 players from its Beijing 2022 gold-medal-winning team and 20 players from the silver-medal team at the 2025 IIHF World Championships.
Recent history, however, hasn’t gone well. Canada lost the Rivalry Series to Team USA in a four-game sweep, being outscored 24-7, which includes a 10-4 loss, in what was among the most lopsided games in the rivalry’s history.
At the same time, there will be more intensity at these Games – it is the Olympics, after all, and a send-off games for many of the most notable women’s athletes to represent Canada in any sport.
Here, Daily Faceoff dives into the entire team and everything you need to know for the tournament.
LOOKING BACK TO 2022
The Beijing 2022 Olympics were one to remember for Team Canada and will forever be known as the COVID-games, where no fans were able to see the record-breaking exploits of Sarah Nurse, the forchecking of Emma Maltais, or other outstanding performances.
Canada dominated the group stage with four wins over Switzerland, the USA, Finland, and the Russian Olympic Committee (which won’t be competing at Milano-Cortina), outscoring opponents 33-5 in that span.
Led by Ryan behind the bench at his first Olympics, Canada continued their unrelenting pursuit through the knockout rounds, eliminating Sweden with an 11-0 win in the quarterfinal, before a 10-3 victory over Switzerland to clinch a spot in the gold medal matchup.
Once again matched up with the USA for gold, Canada prevailed 3-2, with Marie-Philip Poulin netting a goal and two assists to claim Canada’s fifth Olympic title.
OFFENSE
Team Canada has plenty to live up to when it comes to their offensive production after hitting several records in 2022, including Nurse putting up five goals and 13 points for the most in a single Olympic tournament by any Canadian player.
This year, however, they will look to break out of the form that Ryan’s teams have suffered in recent months. In his coaching with the Sceptres, who have six players on Team Canada, his team has struggled to produce many threatening attacking opportunities, tied for last in the PWHL in goals scored after 15 games.
When implementing similar systems with Team Canada, recent history hasn’t been exceptionally kind either, given the seven goals over four games against the USA in the Rivalry Series.
This tournament, though, brings plenty of opportunity for Canada to find their form through a non-eliminating group stage, with hopes of operating at full potential for the knockout stages and a likely gold-medal clash against the Americans.
Expect Canada’s top line to feature veterans Poulin and Laura Stacey, who have enjoyed productive PWHL campaigns with 13 and seven points, respectively, through Montreal’s first 13 games.
A major decision for Ryan will be which player flanks the top duo. Jenn Gardner showed immense qualities with them on the Victoire last season, scoring five goals and 18 points as a rookie. Yet, Toronto’s Darryl Watts could contend for that role after becoming the second player in PWHL history to hit the 50-point mark.
The forward group has plenty of depth and, as of Jan. 24, includes eight of the top 20 scorers in the PWHL. At the same time, the familiar group is bolstered by a more experienced Sarah Fillier, as well as Olympic debutants in Watts, Kristen O’Neill and Julia Gosling.
Unlike other areas of the team, the age factor shouldn’t be a significant issue on the offense either.
DEFENSE
The Canadian blueline is experienced, but the biggest question they face remains the Americans — simply put, can they keep up?
Six of the seven defenders are back on the roster after playing at the 2025 World Championships. The divisive and potentially critical factors are the average age of 29.6 years and the inclusion of Charge blueliner Jocelyn Laroque. Even at 37, she remains an elite defender, but could have been overlooked in favor of young, potentially equivalent talents.
Laroque’s former Sceptres teammates, Ella Shelton and Renata Fast, will be critical to Canada’s success in the tournament. Shelton has shown the ability to be an essential special-teams player on the power play and penalty kill, while Fast is the reigning PWHL Defender of the Year. He remains a key transitional driver and a strong all-around defender.
Outside of the likely top pairing, we will get to see Vancouver’s Sophie Jaques on the Olympic stage for the first time, as well as Kati Tabin, who cracked the roster with an ability to slow the game down and potentially control the American forwards.
Could things have been more offensively tilted if 19-year-old superstar Chloe Primerano cracked the roster? Yes, but this Canadian back end should be able to keep up skills-wise, with the only question being whether they can match the USA’s best in speed.
GOALTENDING
Much like the rest of the roster, the goaltending situation is relatively stable for Canada. It will be an advantage against many other teams, including potentially the Americans, who will rely on Aerin Frankel.
Montreal goaltender Anne-Renée Desbiens is likely to continue in the starting role for Canada, given that she has been the second-best goalie in the PWHL this season, behind only Frankel, with a .951 save percentage across 11 games.
Vancouver Goldeneyes netminder Emerance Maschmeyer has taken a slight dip in form in the expansion team’s first season, but brings international experience and will likely do so in the group stage.
Meanwhile, New York Sirens backstop Kayle Osborne is an example of players parlaying strong PWHL play into an Olympic opportunity for the first time. The rookie netminder has a .930 save percentage in 13 games with the Sirens this season and has been a key part in helping them escape the PWHL’s basement.
Goaltending will be an unabashed strength for Canada, not only in the quality of the three, but in the depth the team can turn to should something go wrong.
COACHING
Troy Ryan will be the bench boss for Team Canada for the second straight Olympics, looking to lead the team to back-to-back gold medals. The head coach of the Toronto Sceptres, Ryan has struggled to get Toronto past big games in the Walter Cup playoffs and has yet to instill consistency in a low-event system in 2025-26.
His resume is undeniable with the Canadian group — three-time World Champion, Olympic champion and Olympic silver medalist in his time as the top coach and an assistant. Yet, there are doubts about his systems as the women’s game has continued to evolve.
He could be on the hot seat as well. He has been at the helm of the Canadian program since 2020, already an extended tenure for most coaches, but if he fails to deliver a gold medal and the Sceptres continue to struggle in PWHL play, it could be a double-dismissal from general manager Gina Kingsbury.
BURNING QUESTION
Can This Team Avoid Heartbreak?
The Rivalry Series did not go the way Canada would have hoped, but it’s not the first time that the Rivalry Series has looked lopsided, and the major tournament of the year has been a more competitive affair.
It feels relatively far-fetched that Canada would lose by five or more goals to Team USA under the bright lights of the Olympics, but that possibility remains, given recent games.
But, they need to get there first. While there’s experience within the group, the PWHL and the evolving women’s hockey scene have changed the game for nations outside of Canada and the USA.
We all expect yet another Canada vs. USA gold medal game, but is this Canadian squad good enough to avoid tripping up on another improved team earlier in the knockout rounds?
PREDICTION
The safe bet here feels like a silver medal. Given how the Rivalry Series went and the elevated competition from teams other than the Americans, this Canadian team, with its veteran experience, seems poised for disappointment.
I would still pick them to reach the gold medal game, but it is difficult to see them winning that contest should it be against Team USA. However, there’s an entire tournament until they get to that point, and maybe they can convince me — and many other doubters, otherwise.
FULL ROSTER
Forwards
Emily Clark (Ottawa Charge, PWHL)
Sarah Fillier (New York Sirens, PWHL)
Jenn Gardiner (Vancouver Goldeneyes, PWHL)
Julia Gosling (Seattle Torrent, PWHL)
Brianne Jenner (Ottawa Charge, PWHL)
Emma Maltais (Toronto Sceptres, PWHL)
Sarah Nurse (Vancouver Goldeneyes, PWHL)
Kristin O’Neill (New York Sirens, PWHL)
Marie-Philip Poulin (Montréal Victoire, PWHL)
Natalie Spooner (Toronto Sceptres, PWHL)
Laura Stacey (Montreal Victoire, PWHL)
Blayre Turnbull (Toronto Sceptres, PWHL)
Daryl Watts (Toronto Sceptres, PWHL)
Defenders
Erin Ambrose (Montreal Victoire, PWHL)
Renata Fast (Toronto Sceptres, PWHL)
Sophie Jaques (Vancouver Goldeneyes, PWHL)
Jocelyne Larocque (Ottawa Charge, PWHL)
Ella Shelton (Toronto Sceptres, PWHL)
Kati Tabin (Montreal Victoire, PWHL)
Claire Thompson (Vancouver Goldeneyes, PWHL)
Goaltenders
Ann-Renee Desbiens (Montreal Victoire, PWHL)
Emerance Maschmeyer (Vancouver Goldeneyes, PWHL)
Kayle Osborne (New York Sirens, PWHL)
PRELIMINARY ROUND SCHEDULE
- Thursday, Feb. 5: Finland vs. Canada, 3:10 p.m. ET
- Saturday, Feb. 7: Switzerland vs. Canada, 3:10 p.m. ET
- Monday, Feb. 9: Canada vs. Czechia, 3:10 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Feb. 10: Canada vs. USA, 2:10 p.m. ET
The quarterfinals will begin on Feb. 13 and conclude the following day. Both semifinals are taking place on Feb. 16. The tournament will wrap up on Feb. 19 with both the gold and bronze medal games.