Kayle Osborne won a spot with Canada's 2026 Olympic women's hockey roster. Since her nomination, Osborne has not only proven the selection valid, but she's won the right to enter the tournament as Canada's clear #2.
Kayle Osborne surprised some stealing one of Canada's three goaltending spots at the 2026 Olympic women's hockey tournament.
Since then, Osborne has not only made it clear she belongs, but she's also outplayed Emerance Maschmeyer making it clear that Canada will need to consider Osborne for their backup role heading into the event.
Osborne has played more than any goaltender in the PWHL this season appearing in each of the New York Sirens' 13 games this year leading her team to second overall after back-to-back last place finishes.
Osborne also brings a unique attribute to the ice serving as an extra defender at times utilizing her elite puckhandling abilities.
Through 13 games, Osborne has posted a .930 save percentage, a 1.94 save percentage, and is tied with Boston's Aerin Frankel for the league lead in shutouts with three.
In her most recent start, Osborne turned aside 31 shots out-duelling Canada's starter Ann-Renee Desbiens who stopped 25 shots as New York beat Montreal in front of an American record crowd of 17,288 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.
Conversely, Emerance Maschmeyer, along with many of her Vancouver Goldeneyes teammates, has struggled this season at times. Maschmeyer sits in the bottom half of the PWHL's goaltending stats with a 2.32 GAA and .925 save percentage.
It's not simply a one-season result however, as Osborne statistically outperformed Maschmeyer last season as well, despite playing on a last place New York team.
In the 2024-25 season, Osborne finished the year with a .916 save percentage and 2.22 GAA as a rookie. Maschmeyer posted a .913 save percentage and 2.58 GAA on a playoff team that advanced to the Walter Cup finals.
At the Rivalry Series this season, none of Canada's goaltenders played particularly well. Osborne played one complete game with a .844 save percentage and 5.26 GAA. Maschmeyer was pulled from her start after allowing five goals on only 14 shots, equivalent to a .643 and 10.34 save percentage.
In net, stats rarely lie. Osborne has won more, and stopped more for Canada and in the PWHL this season. With bringing their best possible roster to Milano Cortina in mind, Kayle Osborne is clearly Canada's second option in net, and may get to make a preliminary round start to protect Desbiens.
The New York Sirens have three more games, with their final on January 28, prior to the 2026 Olympics, which begin February 5. Maschmeyer and Vancouver also have three games remaining before the Olympic break.