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Team Canada hockey Nick Wosika/USA Today and Canadian Paralympic Committee

Canada’s hockey teams chasing something special in Italy

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Ben Steiner | Last updated Nov 19, 2025 8:40 AM ET

TORONTO, Ont. – Emma Maltais has been to the Olympics before. But pulling on the Canadian colors never gets old.

On Tuesday, Maltais and other prospective Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes got their first glimpse of the kits they’ll wear for most of their time at the Milano-Cortina Games, as Lululemon unveiled the looks for the Canadian teams in Toronto.

While Maltais and several other Canadian women’s hockey players centralized for Olympic orientation camps in the summer, pulling on the uniforms makes the Games feel even more real, despite the fact that none have been officially named to the roster.

“The Canadian kit is beautiful,” Maltais, a 2022 Olympic gold medalist, said. “They really took a lot of feedback from the athletes from the last Olympics, and you can really tell the adjustments they made. The camps ahead of the PWHL season made it start to feel a little bit real, but I think this and the start of the PWHL season just create more excitement around the Olympics as well.”

Matlais was one of the key athletes part of the Lululemon kit unveiling on Tuesday (Courtesy of Lululemon/Canadian Olympic Committee)

Maltais will hit the ice for the start of the third PWHL season with the Toronto Sceptres on Friday, kicking off the first Olympic season since the league launched in 2024.

Prior to the PWHL, athletes would centralize for months beforehand. Instead, the 2026 roster will be named in January, and players will be evaluated through the start of the 2025-26 PWHL season.

“I’ve got a lot of experience under my belt now, with the last two seasons in the PWHL, playing in front of significantly larger crowds, and alongside players, building a culture from year to year,” Maltais added.

“2022 was special, but it was also different, right? This time, I want to be able to spend it with my family, and appreciate the moments in between the games a little bit more.”

PWHL, NHL overlap

The 2026 Olympics will also be the first time that the NHL and PWHL send players to the Games, with NHL players returning for the first time since the Sochi 2014 Games.

Sidney Crosby, who was one of the first athletes named to Canada’s men’s team, will chase a third Olympic gold medal with Canada and was unveiled as a Lululemon ambassador alongside Maltais on Tuesday.

https://twitter.com/BenSteiner00/status/1990815935100297312?s=20

“It was unique for all of us: trying out for Team Canada and being around NHL players,” Maltais said, reflecting on August’s Olympic orientation camp in Calgary, which had both women’s and men’s players in attendance.

”It was really cool to get to know them. It was super casual, super chill, and we really got to know each other. I’m excited that Sidney Crosby is also a member of the Lululemon team as well.”

Para hockey eyes triple gold

The men’s and women’s Olympic teams will look for Canada’s first double gold since 2014, but the Canadian para hockey team has its sights set on making it the first-ever golden sweep for Canadian hockey.

Under new head coach Boris Rybalka, Canada is looking to bounce back from a recent loss to the United States at the International Para Hockey Cup in November, while eyeing only its second-ever gold in the sport.

Canada’s only Paralympic para hockey title came at Torino 2006, the last time the Games were in Italy.

Tyler McGregor is confident in the Canadian para hockey team’s chances in March (Courtesy of Canadian Paralympic Committee)

“When we had orientation camp back in August with the three of our teams, we talked about winning triple gold. And we’re not going to be shy about saying that it’s something that we want to do,” Canadian para hockey captain Tyler McGregor said.

“We believe in each other, and it’s been so amazing. We have a ton of players going to their first Paralympics and some going to their fifth, so it’s a mix of calm, composed experience, and youthful energy, and that’s important.”

The Lululemon kits will serve as the basis for what athletes wear for most of their time in the Olympic Village and around the Games, while Nike and Bauer have provided the jerseys and other gear for on-ice competition.

The 2026 Olympics run from Feb. 6-22, with the Paralympics following soon after from March 6-15.

This article first appeared on Daily Faceoff and was syndicated with permission.

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