Olympic hockey a ‘dream come true’ for defender Tabin

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/02/2026 (188 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MILAN — It’s not every you day get a “good luck” greeting from Connor McDavid on the way to your hockey game.

Then again, these are not exactly ordinary days for Winnipegger Kati Tabin, who can now officially say she is an Olympian.

The 28-year-old defender — who twice walked away from the sport only to be pulled back — made her debut on Saturday here in Milan in a 4-0 victory over Switzerland. That was followed up with a 5-1 triumph on Monday night over Czechia, a few hours after the NHL’s biggest star wished her well as they crossed paths in the athlete’s village.

Enjoying the Olympic experience so far?

“It’s been great. A dream come true,” she told the Free Press at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena.

Tabin played 9:53 in her debut, registering two shots on goal while being part of a smothering defensive effort that limited the Swiss to just six shots. She then saw 13:42 of ice time against Czechia, suggesting head coach Troy Ryan was liking what he was seeing.

Just don’t tell that to Tabin, who, like most athletes, can be her own worst critic.

“I felt really good last game,” she said. “This one, I wasn’t too happy. But I feel like as the game went along I kind of fixed my mistakes.”

Canada got off to a roaring start in this one, scoring four times in a dominant opening period where they were playing with an obvious purpose. Captain Marie-Philip Poulin, the heart and soul of the team and undisputed best player, was rocked with an illegal hit and appeared to suffer an injury to her right leg.

She wasn’t really putting any pressure on it as she skated off the ice and went straight to the room. Although she’d later return to the bench, she didn’t play another shift. Czechia’s Kristyna Kaltounkova was given a two-minute penalty.

“You never want to see someone go down. As soon as something like that happens, usually a fire is lit inside you,” said Tabin.

Canada also lost defender Erin Ambrose to an apparent ailment in the third period, so suddenly the 23-player roster is being severely tested.

And don’t look now, but Canada is back on the ice Tuesday night in a marquee showdown with the United States. Although this one isn’t for gold, it will settle the top of the pool and give the winner a slightly easier path.

“It’s going to be a good one. Every game here is important, and we’re just going to worry about playing our game,” said Tabin.

Ryan didn’t have an immediate post-game update on the status of both Poulin or Ambrose and whether they could be back in the lineup 24-hours later.

Losing Poulin, nicknamed “Captain Clutch,” for any length of time would be a massive blow. Incredibly, she’s scored the gold-medal winning goal three times. Poulin is just one goal away from tying Hayley Wickenheiser for most goals in women’s Olympic hockey history (18).

Forward Julia Gosling led the way with a pair of goals against Czechia, while Kristin O’Neill, Sarah Fillier and Laura Stacey had the others. Goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped 18 of 19 shots she faced after Emerance Maschmeyer had gotten the start — and the shutout — against the Swiss.

Tabin was asked whether the recent dominance by the U.S, which won four straight exhibition games earlier this winter by a combined score of 24-7, might serve as some extra motivation for Canada.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Thursdays

Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.

Sign up for Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Sign Up

I consent to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies.

I consent to CASL agreement.

“Honestly, we’re just here to win a medal. That’s all we’re focused on,” she said.

Fair enough, but the colour of that medal will surely make a difference. In addition to the obvious focus on hockey, Tabin is trying to soak in as much of the Milan experience as she can.

“Totally. It’s sick,” she said. “Every Olympian kind of in one spot. It’s really cool to kind of mesh with the different sports and different countries. It’s a lot of fun.”

Tabin actually missed a more in-depth meeting between members of the women’s and men’s hockey teams on Sunday afternoon. She was out for lunch at the time with family members who have flown in from Winnipeg, including her mother, brother and stepdad.

winnipegfreepress.com/mikemcintyre

Mike McIntyre
Reporter

Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.

Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.