Queer Power Couples Headline Canada's Women's Hockey Roster for 2026 Milan Winter Olympics

Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey, a married lesbian couple and star forwards for the Professional Women's Hockey League's Montreal Victoire, have been selected to represent Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy. The duo, who are line mates both in the PWHL and on the national team, began dating in 2017 and married in September 2024, bringing personal partnership to their professional synergy on the ice.

Poulin, widely known as "Captain Clutch" for her history of delivering game-winning goals, is a three-time Olympic gold medalist from 2010, 2014, and 2022, and will compete in her fourth Games. Stacey, meanwhile, is set for her third Olympic outing, having earned silver in PyeongChang 2018 and gold in Beijing 2022. Their inclusion underscores Canada's robust commitment to women's hockey, with Hockey Canada naming six openly queer players to the roster, positioning the team as a beacon for LGBTQ+ athletes globally.

The 2026 Winter Olympics, scheduled from February 6 to 22 in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, will feature women's ice hockey as a marquee event, with Canada entering as a perennial powerhouse defending their 2022 title. Poulin and Stacey's story adds a layer of heartwarming narrative to the competition, as they balance marital life with high-stakes athletic pursuit, inspiring queer women in sports worldwide. This visibility comes amid increasing queer representation at the Olympics; the 2024 Paris Summer Games featured 193 LGBTQ+ athletes, and expectations are high for even more at Milan-Cortina.

Beyond Poulin and Stacey, other queer couples are poised to compete, amplifying LGBTQ+ stories at the Games. Belgian skeleton racer Kim Meylemans and Brazilian slider Nicole Silveira, married in January 2025 after dating during the 2022 Beijing Olympics, will represent their respective nations in the high-speed sliding discipline. Swedish defender Anna Kjellbin and Finnish forward Ronja Savolainen, who are engaged despite playing for PWHL rivals Toronto Scepters and Ottawa Charge, will face off as international opponents—Kjellbin in her Olympic debut for Sweden and Savolainen chasing a third bronze. U.S. athletes Hilary Knight of women's hockey, in her fifth Olympics, and speed skater Brittany Bowe, in her fourth, share a relationship that blossomed under 2022 COVID protocols.

These announcements reflect a broader trend of out LGBTQ+ athletes thriving in winter sports, from U.S. women's hockey players to prospects like bisexual skeleton racer Kendall Wesenberg and openly gay freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy vying for spots. For transgender people and other queer identities, such visibility fosters inclusion, challenging barriers in elite athletics while celebrating personal milestones alongside athletic excellence. Team Canada's selections, confirmed in late January 2026, signal strong community support and pave the way for potential medal hauls that could further elevate queer representation on the Olympic stage. As rosters finalize, these stories promise to enrich the Games' drama, blending competition with authentic tales of love and resilience among LGBTQ+ athletes.