The 2026 Olympics will be the end of an era for many of women's hockey's top stars, but with every end, it opens the door for new stars to emerge. Here's a look at one player who could step forward for each nation in 2026.
The 2026 Olympics will be the end of an era for many of women's hockey's top stars, but with every end, it opens the door for new stars to emerge. Here's a look at one player who could step forward for each nation in 2026.
With the 2024 Paris Olympics underway, it has winter sports fans looking forward to the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. Hosted by Italy, Canada will enter as reigning gold medalists from the 2022 Games in Beijing.
Sarah Nurse led the tournament in scoring followed by Marie-Philip Poulin, Brianne Jenner, and Natalie Spooner. The top scoring American was Hilary Knight. While most, if not all, of those stars will be back in 2026, it will certainly be the final Olympics for many, and with multiple seasons of the PWHL in the books by 2026, a shift in star power is likely to be underway.
Here's a look at one player from each of women's hockey's top nations who should be reaching a new level of stardom by the 2026 Olympic Games.
Canada
There are plenty of names here from Nicole Gosling and Julia Gosling, and even the question of how high on the global hierarchy the PWHL will propel Sarah Fillier, but the odds on favorite to be the biggest riser in Canada's camp is Danielle Serdachny. The 2024 golden goal is what gets remembered, but that goal was the product of everything Serdachny was showing and will get to build upon in the PWHL. She's big and protects the puck well, gets to the net front, but can also score using her release, and produce as a playmaker. She sees the ice well and could turn out to be the top producer from the 2024 Draft class, and end up sitting among tournament leaders in 2026.
USA
USA has a stockpile of young stars from Tessa Janecke to Kirsten Simms, Caroline Harvey and Joy Dunne. Laila Edwards however, showed at the 2024 World Championships what many already know: she's smart, she's got size, and she can shoot the puck like few in the game. Edwards will take Hilary Knight's throne and role sooner or later, and it could be before the 2026 Olympics. Few people are capable of representing their nation in a more positive light than Edwards, and as she continues to get strong, faster, and more physical, the MVP performance we saw in 2024 could just be the tip of her potential.
Finland
Most of Finland's top players are well into their prime, but there are several players just coming into their potential. Sanni Vanhanen's role will certainly grow, and Nelli Laitinen will be counted upon more with Jenni Hiirikoski in the twilight of her career. The player to watch for Finland however, is Viivi Vainikka. Still only 22, Vainikka has seen her point totals grow for Lulea each of the last four seasons, and she intends to declare for the PWHL Draft when her contract expires after this season. She's fast and creative, and as she continues to gain strength and experience, including a season in the PWHL, Vainikka should be poised for a breakout in Milano Cortina.
Czechia
If Kristyna Kaltounkova and Czechia's national team can get on the same page befoe 2026, it will be a game changer for the nation as they'll add a unique goal scorer. It also appears Natalie Mlynkova already arrived as a star, although she's certain to get better and is a likely first round pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft. The player who could be burgeoning into another scorer for Czechia by 2026 however, is the slippery Adela Sapovalivova. Headed to the NCAA in time for the Olympics, Sapovalivova is only going to get better. She was the SDHL Rookie of the Year this season, and using her speed and deceptiveness, she will be a realistic scoring threat for Czechia in 2026.
Switzerland
Of course Lara Stalder and Alina Muller will remain Switzerland's best players through 2026, another young star is rising in Ivana Wey. The rising star is creative, and found herself taking reps on Switzerland's top line as an 18-year-old at the 2024 World Championships. This season she'll face stiffer competition in Switzerland's top league which will expedite her development, and it's likely we'll see her jump to the NCAA soon. Switzerland has taken a step back as a nation recently, but Ivana Wey is one of the young talents that could help turn that trajectory around.
Sweden
Sweden is a nation to watch. They have a group of players headed to both the NCAA and PWHL that will help accelerate their rise yet again. One of those athletes already in the NCAA is Josefin Bouveng. She had a breakout season last year at the University of Minnesota, and this season surrounded by even more talent in Minnesota, Bouveng could see another jump in her already impressive numbers that saw her score 50 points in 39 games, and record a point per game for Sweden at Worlds. She's the type of player Sweden will rely upon to get them over the international hump, and by 2026, Bouveng will be stronger, more experienced, and a top line threat for the Swedes.
Germany
Germany lacks a true burgeoning star. They compete through depth and team play. With more players in the NCAA, the experience is growing, but it's homegrown Emily Nix who could soon emerge as Germany's top scorer. Nix showed that potential at the 2024 World Championships, and making the move for the next two seasons to the SDHL with SDH HF, Nix will only get better. At 26, she's already in her prime, but there's room to grow against stronger competition. If there was another player to keep an eye on from Germany outside their NCAA core, it's diminutive defender Ronja Hark. Hark played key minutes for Germany this year, and at 20, she's got plenty of room to grow her game.
Japan
In terms of youth, Kohane Sato is Japan's top teen, and 2026 is likely too early to expect a younger player like Umeka Odaira to climb up. Several players like Konami Seki will continue to step forward playing in Europe, but no player has more potential to make an impact on Japan's chances in 2026 than Akane Shiga. Shiga made the very wise decision to move to the SDHL for a season (or two) and grow her strength, get more time with the puck, play in all situations, and adapt to body checking. Her skill last season with PWHL Ottawa was undeniable. She sees the ice well, handles the puck with soft hands, and has good speed, but needs time to continue getting stronger. Two years of focusing on that could see Shiga walk into the Olympics to open some eyes.