Every four years, Canadians come together to cheer for one thing—the Maple Leaf. From packed living rooms and neighbourhood sports bars to early mornings with a cup of coffee in hand, the Olympic Winter Games have a way of uniting Canucks as few sporting events can. With Milano Cortina 2026 now in full swing, Team Canada is once again giving fans plenty to celebrate, as unforgettable performances already light up the ice and snow across Italy.

Whether you’re following hockey, moguls, curling, snowboarding, short track speed skating or figure skating, there’s no shortage of Canadian talent worth watching. Some athletes are chasing another Olympic medal, while others are looking to make their mark on the world’s biggest stage for the first time. From household names to rising stars.

Here are 10 Canucks to watch at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, as Canadians continue to rally behind Team Canada throughout the Games.

• Sport: Men’s Ice Hockey
• First Game: Canada vs. Czechia — Thursday, February 12 at 10:40 a.m. ET (Group A)
• Olympic Dates: February 11–22, 2026
• Venue: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena & Fiera Milano
• Players to Watch: Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar & Macklin Celebrini
• Why Watch: NHL players return to the Olympic Winter Games for the first time since 2014, bringing the world’s biggest hockey stars back to the Olympic stage.

The return of NHL players to the Olympic Winter Games made the men’s ice hockey tournament one of the biggest attractions at Milano Cortina 2026. For the first time since the 2014 Games in Sochi, the world’s best players were back on Olympic ice after the NHL, the NHL Players’ Association, the International Ice Hockey Federation, and the International Olympic Committee reached an agreement to bring them back to the Winter Games. Their return immediately raised the standard of competition and reignited one of international hockey’s biggest stages.

The tournament featured 12 nations competing across two arenas in Milan, with the preliminary round split into three groups of four teams, followed by the knockout stage. Canada was drawn into Group A alongside Switzerland, Czechia and France, entering the Games as one of the favourites to challenge for gold. Only the three group winners and the best second-place team earned automatic places in the quarterfinals, leaving every game with plenty at stake.

Canada’s roster was stacked with some of the biggest names in the NHL, including Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and rising star Macklin Celebrini. With so much elite talent wearing the Maple Leaf, Team Canada wasn’t just chasing another Olympic gold medal—it was one of the must-watch teams throughout the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

• Sport: Women’s Ice Hockey
• First Game: Canada vs. Switzerland — Saturday, February 7 at 8:40 a.m. ET
• Olympic Dates: February 7–19, 2026
• Position: Forward (Captain)
• Venue: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena & Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena
• Why Watch: Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in women’s hockey history, Marie-Philip Poulin entered her fifth Olympic Games, chasing another gold medal and leading Team Canada as captain. At Milano Cortina 2026, she became the all-time leading goal-scorer in Olympic women’s hockey.

Marie-Philip Poulin has become one of the most important figures in Canadian Olympic hockey. Known as “Captain Clutch,” she led both Team Canada and the Montreal Victoire at Milano Cortina 2026, once again representing her country with pride. Poulin is a five-time Olympic medallist, with three gold and two silver medals, and is famous for scoring game-winning goals in three Olympic finals. Her impressive career also includes four IIHF Women’s World Championship titles, serving as Canada’s flag bearer at the Beijing 2022 Opening Ceremony, and earning the 2025 IIHF Female Player of the Year title.

After missing part of the preliminary round with a lower-body injury, she returned for the knockout stage, helped Canada reach the gold-medal game, and became the all-time leading goal scorer in Olympic women’s hockey after scoring twice against Switzerland in the semifinal, adding another memorable chapter to her legendary career in Italy.  Even while battling injury, Poulin once again showed why she remains one of the greatest players to ever wear the Maple Leaf.

• Sport: Freestyle Skiing – Moguls
• First Event: Men’s Moguls Qualification 1 — Tuesday, February 10 at 11:15 a.m. CET
• Olympic Dates: February 10–15, 2026
• Venue: Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park, Valtellina
• Why Watch: The most decorated moguls skier in history, Mikaël Kingsbury, arrived at Milano Cortina 2026 chasing another Olympic title and left with silver in men’s moguls and gold in the inaugural men’s dual moguls event, further extending his remarkable Olympic legacy.

The Canadian moguls star Mikaël Kingsbury arrived at Milano Cortina 2026 as the sport’s most decorated athlete and once again proved why he has been the man to beat for more than a decade. After overcoming a groin injury earlier in the season and reaching his 100th World Cup victory, Kingsbury added two more Olympic medals to his collection—silver in the men’s moguls and gold in the debut of men’s dual moguls. It’s the first gold medal of the Games and the fifth Olympic medal of Kingsbury’s remarkable career, further cementing his place among the country’s greatest Winter Olympians.

• Sport: Snowboard – Slopestyle & Big Air
• First Event: Men’s Big Air Qualification — February 7, 2026
• Olympic Dates: February 7–18, 2026
• Venue: Livigno Snow Park
• Why Watch: Mark McMorris, one of Canada’s most decorated snowboarders, returned for his fourth Olympic Winter Games after winning slopestyle bronze at Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022.

Mark McMorris has been a leading figure in Canadian snowboarding for more than ten years. The three-time Olympic bronze medallist returned to Milano Cortina 2026 for his fourth Winter Games, known for always pushing the limits in slopestyle and big air. Just days before the competition, he had a serious crash during big air training and had to withdraw. Still, McMorris did not let that end his Olympics. After leaving the hospital, he recovered in time to compete in slopestyle, once again showing the determination and resilience that have shaped his impressive career.

• Sport: Curling
• First Event: Brad Jacobs — Wednesday, February 11 | Rachel Homan — Thursday, February 12
• Olympic Dates: February 11–22, 2026
• Venue: Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium
• Position: Skip
• Why Watch: Two of Canada’s most accomplished curlers, Rachel Homan and Brad Jacobs, led the women’s and men’s teams into Milano Cortina 2026 after winning the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, carrying Canada’s hopes in one of its most successful Winter Olympic sports.

Curling has long been one of Canada’s signature sports, and Rachel Homan and Brad Jacobs once again found themselves representing the Maple Leaf on one of the biggest stages in the world. After winning the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, both skips booked their places at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Homan arrived as the reigning world champion and one of the sport’s most consistent players, while Jacobs returned to the Olympics 12 years after leading Canada to gold in Sochi. With years of experience and plenty of big-game moments behind them, both entered the Games as genuine medal contenders.

• Sport: Short Track Speed Skating
• First Event: Mixed 2,000m Relay Quarterfinals — Tuesday, February 10, 2026
• Olympic Dates: February 10–21, 2026
• Venue: Forum di Milano
• Why Watch: A two-time ISU Crystal Globe winner and one of the world’s top short track speed skaters, William Dandjinou made his long-awaited Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026 after narrowly missing out on Beijing 2022.

William Dandjinou arrived in Milano Cortina as one of Canada’s brightest medal hopes on the ice. After missing selection for the Beijing 2022 Olympics, the Sherbrooke native turned that disappointment into motivation, becoming one of the most dominant skaters on the ISU World Tour. His Olympic debut lived up to the hype, helping Canada win silver in the mixed 2,000m relay and challenging for medals in multiple individual events. At just 24, Dandjinou has already established himself as one of the biggest names in short track speed skating—and his best years may still be ahead.

• Sport: Snowboard Cross
• First Event: Men’s Snowboard Cross Qualification — Thursday, February 12, 2026
• Olympic Dates: February 12–15, 2026
• Venue: Livigno Snow Park
• Why Watch: One of the world’s best snowboard cross riders, Éliot Grondin arrived at Milano Cortina 2026 as the reigning world champion and a two-time Crystal Globe winner, aiming to build on his Olympic success in Beijing 2022.

Éliot Grondin has quickly become one of Canada’s biggest stars in snowboard cross. After winning silver and bronze at Beijing 2022, the Quebec native arrived in Milano Cortina at the height of his career, fresh off a world championship and two consecutive Crystal Globe wins. He followed those successes by winning another Olympic silver medal, narrowly missing gold by just 0.03 seconds in an exciting final. At only 24, Grondin has already proven to be one of Canada’s most dependable medal hopefuls on snow.

• Sport: Freeski (Slopestyle & Big Air)
• First Event: Women’s Slopestyle Qualification — Saturday, February 7, 2026
• Olympic Dates: February 7–16, 2026
• Venue: Livigno Snow Park
• Why Watch: One of Canada’s most exciting freestyle skiers, Megan Oldham, arrived at Milano Cortina 2026 after making history as the first woman to land a triple cork in competition. She left Italy as a double Olympic medallist, winning bronze in slopestyle and then claiming Canada’s first-ever Olympic gold in women’s freeski big air.

Megan Oldham has been challenging the boundaries of women’s free skiing for years, and Milano Cortina 2026 felt like the moment when everything came together. After just missing a medal at Beijing 2022, the Ontario native came back with confidence and performed when it counted most. She started her Games with a bronze medal in slopestyle before delivering two great runs to win Olympic gold in big air, becoming the first Canadian to win this event at the Winter Games. At only 24 years old, Oldham has already established herself as one of the brightest stars in Canadian freestyle skiing.

• Sport: Figure Skating (Pairs)
• First Event: Pairs Short Program — Sunday, February 15, 2026
• Olympic Dates: February 6–22, 2026
• Venue: Forum di Milano
• Why Watch: Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, one of Canada’s most accomplished pairs teams, arrived at Milano Cortina 2026 as former world champions and three-time Canadian champions. Despite an injury scare before the Games, they fought back to compete in the Olympic pairs event.

Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps have already written one of Canadian figure skating’s most remarkable stories. The pair joined forces in 2019 after Stellato-Dudek moved from the United States to Montreal, beginning a partnership that would culminate in their becoming world champions in 2024. Her journey to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 was anything but ordinary. After retiring from singles skating in the early 2000s due to injuries, she spent 16 years away from the sport before returning with one goal—winning Olympic gold. At 42, Stellato-Dudek finally made her Olympic debut alongside Deschamps, marking one of the sport’s most remarkable comebacks.

• Sport: Short Track Speed Skating
• First Event: Mixed 2,000m Relay — Tuesday, February 10, 2026
• Olympic Dates: February 10–20, 2026
• Venue: Milano Ice Skating Arena
• Specialty: 500m, 1000m, 1500m & Relay
• Why Watch: Courtney Sarault entered Milano Cortina 2026 as one of the world’s top short-track speed skaters after winning the 2025–26 ISU Crystal Globe. She left Italy with four Olympic medals, becoming only the second Canadian athlete to win four medals at a single Winter Olympics.

Entering Milano Cortina 2026 as the reigning ISU Crystal Globe champion, one of Canada’s brightest medal hopes fulfilled every expectation. Courtney Sarault delivered her best Olympic performance, winning silver in the mixed relay and the women’s 1000m, and bronze in the women’s 500m and the women’s 3000m relay. Her four-medal haul made her only the second Canadian athlete to win four medals at a single Winter Olympic Games, cementing her place among Canada’s standout stars on the ice.

There’s nothing quite like the Winter Olympics when you’re cheering for the Maple Leaf. Whether it’s gathering with family for the hockey game, setting an early alarm to catch a medal event, or following every run, race and routine from work or school, Canadians always find a way to support their athletes. This year’s team is packed with household names and rising stars, giving Canucks plenty of reasons to tune in from the Opening Ceremony through the final day of competition.

From hockey and curling to moguls, snowboarding, speed skating and figure skating, Team Canada has medal hopefuls across almost every event at the Winter Games. Many events will take place overnight or early in the morning because of the time difference with Italy, but that’s all part of the Olympic experience. Make some coffee, put on your favourite Team Canada jersey and get comfortable—some of the best Olympic moments happen when most of the country is still asleep. Canadians can watch every event live on CBC, CBC Gem and Radio-Canada, with additional coverage on TSN and RDS.

Win or lose, these Games are about more than the medal table. They’re about watching Canucks chase lifelong dreams, celebrate years of hard work, and create moments that will be talked about long after the Olympic flame is extinguished. Those are the stories that make Canadians proud, and they’re the ones worth staying up—or waking up early—for.

Go Canada Go!