Canada is nearing final roster decisions for the 2026 Winter Olympics, and the evaluation phase has effectively closed. The remaining question right now is roster optimization.

Canada has more international-calibre players than spots available, which has always forced Hockey Canada to weigh recent form against role certainty and Olympic experience.

Starting this week, PDub Hockey has our analysis of current performances of the stars of the game and Hockey Canada’s historical decision-making to project the 23-player roster that will represent Canada in Italy.

Forwards

Canada’s forward core is largely predetermined. Marie-Philip Poulin, Sarah Fillier, Laura Stacey, Emily Clark, Emma Maltais, Daryl Watts and Jennifer Gardiner have been consistently deployed in top-six or special teams roles. These players cover scoring, matchup minutes, penalty killing, and late-game situations, and are no doubt set to make the final roster.

Julia Gosling also fits into Canada’s transition group, providing speed and forecheck support without disrupting existing line structures. Kristin O’Neill and Blayre Turnbull will continue to be used in structured minutes and remain interchangeable across bottom-six roles, which reduces lineup strain during short tournaments.

The remaining forward spots come down to veteran versus depth options. Natalie Spooner remains productive at the professional level and requires minimal usage to contribute. Brianne Jenner provides face-off value and situational flexibility.

Caitlin Kraemer and Hannah Miller remain outside the projected group due to limited international usage. Danielle Serdachny has an international scoring history but has not produced consistently in recent evaluation windows. Sarah Nurse is included, assuming health and availability.

Defence

Canada’s top-four on defence is set. Renata Fast, Ella Shelton, Erin Ambrose and Claire Thompson handle penalty killing and puck movement duties and also log the heaviest minutes and anchor pairings.

Sophie Jaques provides offensive activation from the blue line and has remained in rotation despite defensive trade-offs. Jocelyne Larocque remains in the mix as a situational defender with international experience and established trust.

Chloe Primerano, Micah Zandee-Hart and Nicole Gosling are candidates for the final defensive spot. Primerano’s puck management and composure have kept her in recent consideration, giving her the edge in our projection.

Goaltending remains unchanged

Canada’s goaltending structure is expected to remain fixed. Ann-Renee Desbiens is the starter with Emerance Maschmeyer serving as the backup. This pairing has been consistent across multiple cycles, and the Olympics will probably be no different.

As for the third goaltender decision, Eve Gascon is projected to take the spot as an investment in long-term succession, given that all Olympic exposure is viewed as a developmental asset even if that goalie is unlikely to see game action.

PDub Hockey’s final Team Canada Olympic roster

Forwards:

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

Defenders:

Erin Ambrose, Renata Fast, Sophie Jaques, Jocelyne Larocque, Chloe Primerano, Ella Shelton, Claire Thompson.

Goaltenders:

Ann-Renee Desbiens, Emerance Maschmeyer, Eve Gascon.

Canada’s projected roster will seemingly prioritize reliability and role clarity over aggressive transition. Youth integration is selective, and veteran trust remains a defining factor for such high-profile tournaments.

Whether that balance holds will be tested quickly in a compressed Olympic tournament environment come February.

Olympic roster projections

Follow along and check out all of PDub Hockey’s 2026 Winter Olympics roster projections here:

Team Canada | Team USA | Team Czechia | Team Sweden | Team Finland