The Olympic Games are set to open in Milano Cortina with 10 women’s hockey teams competing for gold. Each of those teams have veteran leadership captaining their rosters. Here’s a look at the 10 Olympic women’s hockey captains ahead of the 2026 Olympics in Italy. CANADA - MARIE-PHILIP POULIN When your nickname is “Captain Clutch” there’s no doubt your impact is significant. Perhaps the one player in the world capable of single handedly changing a game, tournament, and the gold medal hopes for her nation, Poulin has scored the game winning goal in the 2010, 2014, and 2022 Olympics for Canada. There is no leader in hockey more respected than Poulin, on the men’s or women’s side. This will be Poulin’s fifth Olympics, and if it’s her last, expect her to lead and leave it all on the ice. The Montreal Victoire captain enters as the reigning PWHL MVP. CZECHIA - ANETA TEJRALOVA Tejralova took over as Czechia’s captain midway through this Olympic cycle and she’s helped Czechia climb to new heights as a program. The Seattle Torrent blueliner has missed significant time this season with injury, but she’s a steadying presence both on and off the ice. Tejralova, 12, has represented Czechia at 12 World Championships helping them climb from Division 1A, to the top Division, and win a pair of bronze medals. Could this be Czechia's year to win their first women's ice hockey Olympic medal? FINLAND - MICHELLE KARVINEN Entering her fifth Olympic Games, Karvinen has been there with Finland through thick and thin. She captained Frolunda through promotion in Sweden, and is now a member of the PWHL’s Vancouver Goldeneyes. While she’s one of the most experienced and senior members of Finland, she also remains one of the most effective using her on-ice IQ to guide the game. She leads by example in so many ways that it’s hard to imagine Finland without Karvinen in 2030. FRANCE - LORE BAUDRIT Long time French captain Lore Baudrit is hard to miss with her 6-foot-3 frame towering over the competition. It’s the first time France has ever competed in women’s hockey at the Olympics, and she’s part of a veteran core that will fight to earn a win at this event. France doesn’t have medal hopes, but the Olympic spirit isn’t tied to medals, and for France, this is a crucial opportunity for their nation as they’ll look to build heading into 2030 when they host the next Games. Baudrit, 34, is playing with ERC Ingolstadt in Germany this season. GERMANY - DARIA GLEISSNER The veteran is Germany's longest standing national team member having made her national team debut at the 2012 World Championships. More than a decade later, she remains a staple of Germany's blueline [https://thehockeynews.com/womens/international/olympic-women-s-hockey-preview-germany] playing for the nation's top domestic club ECDC Memmingem. A model of consistency, Gleißner, 32, and Germany make only the nation's second ever Olympic appearance. Advancing to the quarterfinals is the goal, and would be a crowning achievement for Gleißner's career. ITALY - NADIA MATTIVI The youngest Olympic captain in the women’s hockey tournament, Mattivi is in her second pro season with Lulea after captaining Boston University. She plans to join the PWHL’s Vancouver Goldeneyes next season and will look to lead her nation on home soil with pride. Italy could surprise a team or two in Group B with the ultimate goal of a quarterfinal berth. Mattivi is physical, can produce offensively, and is one of a core group of Italian born and trained players on this national team who will be supported by a group of dual passport players. JAPAN - RUI UKITA The 29-year-old is in entering her fourth Olympic Games with Japan, and that experience will be paramount for a team looking to remain competitive internationally. Ukita was only two years old when Japan hosted the first ever women's hockey tournament at the Olympics, and since then, Japan has remained competitive, but recently, the nation has started to slip from the top grouping. Punching a ticket to the quarterfinals is within reach, and Ukita, along with the rest of Japan's veterans will be responsible for pushing Japan to that level. She plays for Daishan in Japan's top women's league. SWEDEN - ANNA KJELLBIN The Toronto Sceptres defender has been a constant and calming presence on Sweden’s blueline for a decade. After leaving the SDHL to join the PWHL, she’s been part of Sweden’s rapid climb in competitiveness. If this Games had done away with the archaic and inequitable grouping system, Sweden might have been able to fight their way into a medal game. They still could, but it will take an upset over Finland or Czechia. Sweden has caused problems for both in Euro Hockey Tour games, and they are the only nation to steal a silver. Can this be another historic moment for the program with Kjellbin at the helm? SWITZERLAND - LARA STALDER One of the nation's all-time scoring leaders is in her sixth season captaining Switzerland. She was integral in Switzerland's historic bronze medal in 2014 and at 31 is entering her fourth Olympics where she's totalled 17 points in 18 career games. Staying in Switzerland to help grow the game, Stalder is one of the best in the world despite her absence from the PWHL. She plays for EV Zug in Switzerland's PostFinance Women's League. USA - HILARY KNIGHT Having already announced this will be her fifth and final Olympic Games, Knight will want to add her second gold after winning in 2018 to her trophy case. She’s the all-time leading goal scorer and points leader at the World Championships, and knows how to stick a dagger in an opponent with a timely goal. The Seattle Torrent captain will be a threat on the power play, a net front presence, and is destined for her fifth Olympic medal. The only question is, what color will it be?
