In less than a week, 207 Canadian athletes will be battling for gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, held jointly in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Of the Canadian athletes, 109 are making their Olympic debut. The competition runs from Feb. 6-22.
From decorated veteran skiers to first-time hockey hopefuls, here are the athletes to watch at the 2026 winter games:
Mikaël Kingsbury
Selected as one of the flagbearers for the opening ceremony, Quebec’s Mikaël Kingsbury could be attempting his final hurrah at Milano Cortina. Kingsbury’s first games were at Sochi 2014, where he won a silver medal in freestyle skiing moguls. At PyeongChang 2018, he more than defended his title, winning gold. Another silver medal was added to his hardware collection at Beijing 2022.
Marielle Thompson
Marielle Thompson, from North Vancouver, B.C., was picked as the other flagbearer at the opening ceremony. She won gold at Sochi 2014 in women’s ski cross – while also coming first in the eighth-final, quarterfinal and semifinal heats. Thompson’s road to PyeongChang 2018 was derailed by an ACL and MCL injury, causing her loss in the eighth-finals. However, she came back swinging in 2022, winning silver.
Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid is finally making his olympic games debut at Milano Cortina. The Edmonton Oilers captain was poised to play for Team Canada in 2022, but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed those plans. He’ll be playing alongside hockey legend Sidney Crosby, whose last games were at Sochi 2014.
Kelsey Mitchell
If Kelsey Mitchell medals at the 2026 games, she could be the first dual summer and winter olympic games medalist after winning gold in track cycling at Tokyo 2020. She will be competing in bobsleigh as a brakewoman at Milano Cortina.
Marie-Philip Poulin
Marie-Philip Poulin has been instrumental in helping Team Canada’s women’s hockey team win gold in three of the last four olympics. Given the moniker “Captain Clutch,” she is the only hockey player on both the men’s and women’s teams to score in four Olympic gold medal games. Poulin’s unparalleled achievements scored her the title of flagbearer at Beijing 2022.
Kim Boutin
Despite not having a gold medal under her belt, short-track speed skater Kim Boutin, from Sherbrooke, Que., was Canada’s only three-time medalist at PyeongChang 2018. At Beijing 2022, she returned with a bronze.
Macklin Celebrini
At just 19 years old, Macklin Celebrini will be making his Olympic games debut as the youngest member of the men’s hockey team. He was picked first overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2024 NHL draft and was short-listed for Rookie of the Year. He played for Canada at the 2025 World Championships and at the 2024 World Juniors.
Naomi Urness
Another young Olympian making her debut at the 2026 games is Mont-Tremblant, Quebec-born Naomi Urness. At only 21 years old, she has medaled at three World Cup ski big air events and at the 2025 Winter X Games. She won her first World Cup at the 2025 games in Steamboat, Colorado.
