CALGARY — Hockey Canada has invited 30 players to a national women's team orientation camp in Calgary in preparation for the 2026 Olympic Games.
Four goaltenders, 10 defenders and 16 forwards have been summoned to the women's camp Aug. 26-28, including 17 who helped Canada beat the United States 3-2 in the final to win a gold medal in 2022 in Beijing.
Marie-Philip Poulin, Sarah Nurse, Brianne Jenner, Laura Stacey, Natalie Spooner, Renata Fast, Jocelyne Larocque and goaltenders Ann-Renee Desbiens and Emerance Maschmeyer were among the Olympic veterans invited.
Defenders Chloe Primerano and Nicole Gosling, forward Caitlin Kraemer, and goaltenders Kayle Osborne and Eve Gascon were among players under the age of 23 included on the camp roster.
Alongside the women, the national governing body of hockey also invited 42 NHL players and 20 para hockey players for presentations and meetings, and team-building opportunities with an eye to the Winter Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy, from Feb. 6 to Feb. 22.
Hockey Canada senior vice-president of hockey operations Scott Salmond calls the camp the first step toward the goal of winning three gold medals across Olympic and Paralympic hockey.
“While the next several months will bring intense evaluation and difficult roster decisions, we look forward to kicking off the season in Calgary and giving our athletes and staff a chance to come together and start to become one team as we set our sights on February,” he said Friday in a statement.
Women's rosters at this year's world championship expanded to 25 players, but will remain at 23 — 20 skaters and three goalies — for the Olympic Games because it was too late to ask the International Olympic Committee and the Italy organizing committee to add more athletes, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation.
Forwards Blayre Turnbull, Emilie Clark, Sarah Fillier, Emma Maltais and defenders Erin Ambrose, Claire Thompson, Ella Shelton and Micah Zandee-Hart were members of the 2022 squad also invited to camp.
Defenders Sophie Jaques and Katie Tabin and forwards Kristin O'Neill, Darryl Watts, Jennifer Gardiner, Danielle Serdachny, Julia Gosling and Hannah Miller round out the roster.
Miller's eligibility to play for Canada has yet to be determined. She was named to the Canadian roster for April's world championship in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, but she ran afoul of IIHF transfer rules.
She was under contract to a club in another country less than two years ago at that time. But Miller also played for host China in Beijing's Olympic Games.
Head coach Troy Ryan and assistant Korie Cheverie return to Canada's bench after navigating the team to gold in Beijing.
Hockey Hall of Famer Caroline Ouellette, Britni Smith and goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood were also named to the coaching staff.
Canada has won five of seven gold medals since women's hockey made its Olympic debut in Nagano, Japan, in 1998. Canada lost to the U.S. in the final in 1998 and also in a shootout in the 2018 final.
Canada's preparation for Italy will be different than previous Olympic Games because of the Professional Women's Hockey League starting its third season.
Canadian players traditionally relocated to Calgary in summer for five straight months of training together and playing games.
Hockey Canada will now fit training blocks around the PWHL's schedule. Ryan is head coach of the PWHL's Toronto Sceptres. Cheverie is head coach and Ouellette an assistant coach of the Montreal Victoire.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025.
The Canadian Press
