Meet the Manitobans representing Canada at the Winter Olympics

The Canadian flag is seen on a flag pole in Ottawa on June 30, 2020.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, are just days away, and there is a quartet of Manitobans making up part of Team Canada.

For those who want to follow the journey of the four Manitobans, they won’t have to look too hard, as they will all be hitting the ice as part of the men’s and women’s hockey teams.

The women’s team will hit the ice first on Feb. 5 when they open their Olympic tournament against Finland.

Anchoring the blueline will be a Manitoba staple for Team Canada, Jocelyne Larocque.

This will be the fourth Olympics for Larocque, who has three medals, two gold and a silver, to her name.

She joined the national team in 2008 and made her world championship debut in 2011. Since then, she has racked up 12 medals, which includes four golds.

Outside of her national team representation, Larocque was drafted in the inaugural Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Draft in 2023, going second overall to Toronto.

She currently plays with the Ottawa Charge and was named an alternate captain for the 2025-26 season.

Joining Larocque is a new face to the national program. From Oakbank, Man., Kati Tabin is making her Olympic debut.

She recently joined the red and white in the fall last year to play in the Rivalry Series against the United States.

Her hockey career almost didn’t make it to the Olympics, as she had originally retired from the sport in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic halted her options for professional hockey.

But after two years of coaching, she decided to give the game another shot and joined the Toronto Six of the Premier Hockey Federation in 2022.

A year later, she was drafted 30th overall in the PWHL by Montreal.

She has represented Manitoba previously, playing for the province in the 2015 Canada Winter Games.

Tabin graduated from Quinnipiac University in 2020, earning a bachelor’s in business marketing and a master’s in business administration.

2 Manitoba men lacing up for Team Canada

Switching to the men’s side, this is the first time NHL players will be at the Olympics since 2014 in Sochi, Russia.

This return is giving two Manitobans the chance to don the maple leaf.

Winnipeg’s Mark Stone is no stranger to playing for Team Canada, as he has played twice at the world championships, winning both a gold and silver medal.

He was also part of the 4 Nations Face-Off, where he helped Canada claim the championship.

He was originally taken in the sixth round by the Ottawa Senators in the 2010 NHL Draft. He was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2019 and won the Stanley Cup with the team in 2023.

Joining Stone is fellow Manitoban Travis Sanheim. Hailing from Elkhorn, Man., Sanheim has carved out a nine-year career in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers.

The defenceman has participated in two world championships, winning silver in 2022, and was also with Stone as part of the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Sanheim was taken 17th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft after playing his junior career with the Calgary Hitmen.

The men’s first game will be on Feb. 12 against Czechia.

The opening ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games happens on Feb. 6.