Team Canada unveils experienced women's hockey Olympic roster for Milan Cortina Games

Team Canada named a 23-player women's hockey roster for the Milan Cortina Olympics led by Marie-Philip Poulin, returning 16 players from the 2022 gold-medal team.

Team Canada has announced a 23-player women's hockey roster for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The group is led by Marie-Philip Poulin, who will make her fifth Olympic appearance and is noted for scoring three Olympic gold-medal-winning goals. Sixteen players from the 2022 Beijing gold-medal team are back, and all 23 members compete in the Professional Women's Hockey League. General manager Gina Kingsbury described the selected group as motivated and proud to wear the Maple Leaf. Key details: - The roster includes 23 players and is led by 34-year-old Marie-Philip Poulin, a five-time Olympian. - Sixteen players return from the 2022 team that went 7-0 en route to gold in Beijing. - Goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens is set to make her third Olympic appearance; at Beijing she allowed five goals on 150 shots while winning five games. - The Professional Women's Hockey League is represented by all 23 Canadian players. - Newcomers named include defender Sophie Jaques and forwards Daryl Watts and Kristin O'Neill; notable omissions listed were Danielle Serdachny and Micah Zandee-Hart. - Canada opens the Olympic tournament against Finland on Feb. 5 and meets the United States in the preliminary round five days later. Summary: Canada's selection emphasizes experience and continuity as it heads into the Milan Cortina Games. The roster follows a Rivalry Series in which the United States swept Canada in four exhibition games and after the U.S. unveiled a younger roster with many college players. The team's Olympic schedule begins Feb. 5 against Finland, with the Canada–U.S. preliminary meeting scheduled for Feb. 10.