<p>You might not realize it, but we’re six months away from one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Athletes from all around the globe are set to descend on Milan and Cortina, Italy, for the 2026 Winter Olympics.</p>



<p>The women’s hockey tournament is expected to see the two heavy hitters, Canada and the United States, battle it out for gold. Outside of the surprising run by Sweden in 2006, the last time the Winter Games were held in Italy, the Canadians and Americans were the two sides fighting for Olympic glory. </p>



<p>Canada is looking to defend its gold medal that it won over three years ago in Beijing, beating the U.S. in a bizarre tournament that was held in the midst of the COVID pandemic. While there has been a big shift in the women’s game since then, including the rise of the PWHL, many players from that team are expected to be on the roster again come February. 30 players have been invited <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/30-players-invited-canada-womens-olympic-team-orientation-camp-poulin-stacey-desbiens-fast">to the National Team Orientation Camp</a> in Calgary later this month, with the roster becoming official in the coming months.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="187"></div>



<p>Let’s take a look at an early projection of those who will don the Maple Leaf at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games:</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Forwards</h2>



<p>Jenn Gardiner (VAN) – Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL) – Laura Stacey (MTL)<br>Daryl Watts (TOR) – Sarah Nurse (VAN) – Sarah Fillier (NY)<br>Julia Gosling (SEA) – Hannah Miller (VAN) – Natalie Spooner (TOR)<br>Kristin O’Neill (NY) – Blayre Turnbull (TOR) – Emily Clark (OTT)<br>Emma Maltais (TOR), Brianne Jenner (OTT)</p>



<p><em>Also considered: Danielle Serdachny (SEA), Caitlin Kraemer (2028)</em></p>



<p>Obviously, I’m not inside head coach Troy Ryan’s head, so these lines are certainly subject to change. That said, there isn’t much to not like about this group. You have arguably the best line in the PWHL last year in Gardiner, Poulin and Stacey – even though <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/pwhl-vancouver-signs-jenn-gardiner-one-year-contract-expansion-montreal-victoire">Gardiner signed with Vancouver</a> during the expansion process. That trio carried the Montreal Victoire’s offense for most of 2024-25.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="142"></div>



<p>Behind that, you have electrifying players in Watts and Fillier. Watts has taken massive strides in becoming a top player in the women’s game over the past couple of years, being one of Canada’s top scorers at last year’s IIHF Women’s World Championship. Fillier is…well, Fillier. The reigning<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/marie-philip-poulin-sarah-fillier-renata-fast-highlight-2025-pwhl-awards-montreal-new-york-toronto"> PWHL Rookie of the Year</a> has been a key part of the senior national team for the past few years, and with a veteran like Nurse in the middle, that’s a tough line to slow down.</p>



<p>The big wild card in this group is Hannah Miller. Thanks to her participation with China at the 2022 Olympics, she was ruled ineligible to play for Canada at this year’s Women’s Worlds, which arguably hurt Canada. With the IIHF’s required two-year break from when a player represented another country set to expire, the current Vancouver forward should be able to represent her true home in Italy.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="151"></div>



<p>The “checking line” of Turnbull, O’Neill and Clark can cause havoc for opponents. Even in a lesser role, this group can bring a ton of energy and can shut down the other team’s top stars. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Defense</h2>



<p>Claire Thompson (VAN) – Erin Ambrose (MTL)<br>Ella Shelton (TOR) – Renata Fast (TOR)<br>Jocelyne Larocque (OTT) – Chloe Primerano (2028)<br>Micah Zandee-Hart (NY) – Sophie Jaques (VAN)</p>



<p><em>Also considered: Kati Tabin (MTL), Nicole Gosling (MTL)</em></p>



<p>Honestly, you could jumble these four pairs on a nightly basis and still come away with a good setup on the back end. I based it on what we saw last year in Czechia, but I think Ryan might be willing to change things up between now and February. Larocque and Ambrose might be veterans, but they can play the stay-at-home game while the young Primerano and skilled Thompson whip around the ice. </p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="143"></div>



<p>Shelton and Fast are stable on their own at both ends of the rink. However, if anyone were to falter, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jaques gets a little bit more playing time. She was the seventh defender for a lot of last year’s Women’s Worlds, but she can bring a lot to the table with more international experience under her belt.</p>



<p>While I think Canada could utilize Nicole Gosling in a return to the senior national team, where she played with cousin Julia on the gold-medal-winning team in 2023, Ryan has been known to be very comfortable with using the “elders” in quick tournaments like this. That said, if Gosling can show off her talents at the upcoming camp, and in the early parts of the PWHL season, she might force Ryan and general manager Gina Kingsbury to change their minds.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="142"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Goaltenders</h2>



<p>Ann-Renée&nbsp;Desbiens (MTL)<br>Emerance Maschmeyer (VAN)<br>Ève&nbsp;Gascon (2027)</p>



<p><em>Also considered: Kristen Campbell (VAN), Kayle Osborne (NY)</em></p>



<p>For those who follow me, they know I like to shake things up and go off the beaten path. However, when it comes to the Olympics, you have to go with what has worked. Desbiens has been the standard for Canadian goaltending, men’s or women’s, ever since Shannon Szabados called it a career. Yes, she was beaten in last year’s tournament in Czechia, but it’s easy to say she wasn’t 100%. When she’s healthy, the Victoire netminder is the best in the world</p>



<p>Until someone proves they can top her (on the Canadian side at least), Maschmeyer will have a spot on the Canadian roster. The new Vancouver goaltender was absent from the Women’s Worlds last April after suffering a season-ending injury with the Ottawa Charge. While it ended up costing her the starting job in Ottawa, there’s still a lot of hockey left in Maschmeyer, and she can be trusted when called upon.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="5" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="167"></div>



<p>Gascon was the third netminder on Canada’s roster in Czechia, and might’ve seen some action if Desbiens wasn’t cleared to play. Right now, she’s the future of Canadian goaltending. I know Campbell has had experience in the international game and Seattle’s Corinne Schroeder has played well enough to crack the Team Canada roster, but giving Gascon the chance to sniff what it’s like to play on the biggest stage will help her development.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/categories/pwhl"><em>Read more women’s hockey stories on DFO</em></a></p>
