Canada unveils women’s hockey team tasked with defending Olympic gold in Milan

Team Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin, centre, holds the Rivalry Series trophy while celebrating with teammates following Canada's 3-1 victory over Team USA in Summerside, P.E.I. on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

Canada’s 23 players tasked with defending Olympic gold in women’s hockey have been unveiled.

Canada carries a wealth of Olympic experience with 16 players returning from the 2022 edition, but faces a significant hurdle posed by archrival the United States to repeat at the Milan Cortina Games.

The 13 forwards, seven defenders and three goalies announced Friday by Hockey Canada in Toronto will open defence of the gold medal Feb. 5 against Finland in Milan, Italy.

The forwards announced were Laura Stacey, Sarah Fillier, Brianne Jenner, Emily Clark, Emma Maltais, Sarah Nurse, Marie-Philip Poulin, Kristin O’Neill, Blayre Turnbull, Jennifer Gardiner, Daryl Watts and Natalie Spooner.

The defence was comprised of Sophie Jaques, Jocelyne Larocque, Renata Fast, Ella Shelton, Erin Ambrose, Claire Thompson and Kati Tabin. The three goalies were Ann-Renée Desbiens, Emerance Maschmeyer and Kayle Osborne.

The Canadians meet Switzerland on Feb. 7, Czechia on Feb. 9, and the U.S. on Feb. 10 in Group A, which features the world’s top five seeds.

Sweden, Germany, Japan, France and host Italy comprise Group B. All Group A teams and the top three in Group B play quarterfinals.

The semifinals are Feb. 16 and the medal games Feb. 19.

Canada has won five of seven gold medals since women’s hockey made its Olympic debut in Nagano, Japan.

Canada reclaimed the crown with a 3-2 win over the U.S. in Beijing in 2022, four years after falling 3-2 in a shootout to the Americans in PyeongChang, South Korea.

The PWHL, now in its third season, changed Canada’s traditional preparation for an Olympic Games.

Players previously relocated to Calgary for six months of training and playing games together against male triple-A and Junior A clubs.

A group of 30 women, including 28 PWHL players, were invited to Canada’s three two-week training camps from September to November before the PWHL season started Nov. 21.

The U.S. swept a four-game Rivalry Series and outscored Canada 24-7 in the fall. The Americans also beat Canada 4-3 in overtime to take the 2025 world championship.

Canada and the U.S. have met in every Olympic final but one in 2006, when Sweden beat the U.S. in a semifinal and lost to Canada in the gold-medal game in Turin, Italy.

Canada’s general manager Gina Kingsbury and head coach Troy Ryan, who hold the same jobs with the PWHL’s Toronto Sceptres, selected Canada’s Olympic team with input from senior manager of player development and scouting, Cherie Piper, assistant coaches Kori Cheverie, Caroline Ouellette and Britni Smith, and goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood.

Kingsbury is a two-time gold medallist in women’s hockey for Canada (2006, 2010), Ouellette a four-time gold medallist (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014) and Piper a triple champion (2002, 2006, 2010).

Women’s world championship rosters expanded from 23 to 25 players in 2025 to match the men.

It was too late in the quadrennial for the International Ice Hockey Federation to apply to the International Olympic Committee for additional women in Milan, so women’s rosters remain at 23 in Italy.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 9, 2026