Despite a decisive defeat in the recent exhibition series against their arch-rivals, the confidence within Canada's national women's hockey team remains unshaken. Ottawa Charge defender Jocelyne Larocque has boldly declared that the team will capture the gold medal at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy.
Turning Defeat into Fuel for the Olympic Fire
The United States dominated Canada in the most recent Rivalry Series, securing a four-game sweep last November and December with a cumulative score of 24-7. Rather than viewing this as a setback, Larocque frames it as a crucial part of Olympic preparation. "It's Olympic preparation, right?" Larocque stated. "There were different line combinations, different things... Are we going to go into these Olympics with a little bit of an underdog mentality? Yeah. And I think, honestly, that's a good mentality to have."
Larocque, alongside Charge teammates Brianne Jenner and Emily Clark, was officially named to Canada's Olympic roster on January 9, 2026. She emphasized that the team's belief has never wavered. "None of our players have wavered in confidence and belief," she asserted. "Nobody's going to remember who won the Rivalry Series come February... It's not an indicator of who's going to win at the Olympics. At all."
Experience and a "Stacked" Roster Ready for Milano Cortina
The Milano Cortina Olympic Games, running from February 6 to 22, 2026, will mark the fourth Olympic appearance for both Larocque and Jenner, while Clark will be competing in her third. Canada boasts a historic record in women's Olympic hockey, having won seven of the nine gold medals awarded since the sport's debut in 1998, though they settled for silver in Pyeongchang (2018) and Nagano (1998).
While acknowledging the American team—which will include Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips and rookie defender Rory Guilday—may be younger and faster, Larocque is unwavering in her assessment of Canada's chances. "Really good... very good," she said of the current roster. "There's an incredible mix of skill, speed, experience, and there's some new players. In Canada, the luxury is there's a lot of good players. So the team is stacked. I'm super-excited. I'm very confident that we're going to come away with gold."
The PWHL Factor: Elevating the Global Game
Larocque pointed to a key reason why the upcoming Olympic tournament will be the best yet: the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). This will be the first Olympics since the league began play in 2023.
"I think it's going to be the fastest, best Olympics yet because there are so many players that play in this league," she explained. "It gives players an opportunity to be seen at a high level. I know our team, there are players that possibly wouldn't have made the Canada team if there wasn't this league... It just elevates every country."
With a blend of veteran experience, a deep talent pool honed in the PWHL, and a renewed underdog drive, Larocque and her Canadian teammates are heading to Italy with a single, focused goal: to reclaim Olympic hockey supremacy.
