Larocque, Tabin to rep the Maple Leaf Pair of Manitobans named to women’s Olympic hockey roster By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 5:28 PM CST Friday, Jan. 9, 2026

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/01/2026 (221 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A pair of Manitobans are heading to the Winter Olympics as members of the Canadian women’s hockey team.

Ste. Anne’s Jocelyne Larocque and Winnipegger Kati Tabin were included in the 23-person roster announced on Friday afternoon. Canada will look to repeat as gold medallists when the 10-nation tournament gets underway in Milan Feb. 5.

This will be the fourth straight Games for the 37-year-old Larocque, who currently patrols the blue line for the Ottawa Charge of the PWHL. She has gold medals from Beijing (2022) and Sochi (2014) and a silver from Pyeongchang (2018).

Tabin, 28, gets to compete on the biggest stage in sports for the first time. She is in her third season of playing defence with the Montreal Victoire of the PWHL.

Both women were considered on the bubble to make the squad, especially after the Americans dominated them in four Rivalry Series games held in November and December. Canada went 0-4, getting outscored 24-7 in the process.

At Friday’s news conference to unveil the squad, team officials suggested those results will only serve as additional motivation for the squad now heading to Italy.

The Canadian squad includes 16 returning members from 2022 including the incomparable Marie-Philip Poulin and other decorated stars such as Natalie Spooner, Sarah Nurse, Renata Fast and Brianna Jenner. Seven players, including Tabin, will be making their Olympic debut.

“We are confident we have selected a highly motivated and eager group who take great pride and passion in wearing the Maple Leaf,” said general manager Gina Kingsbury. “It has been a long four-year journey for our entire team, and we are excited for the opportunity to compete for a gold medal at the Olympics.”

Larocque may be getting up there in years, but she told the Free Press last year she was soaking in every moment of skating in what she believes is a golden era in women’s hockey — from having their own league to the Olympic showcase every four years.

“I get to experience what we fought for,” she said. “When I was a kid, people would tell me that I couldn’t play professional hockey because I was a girl. Now, girls can. I feel lucky and I feel grateful. It gives me a lot of joy.”

Larocque was the first female to ever play in the Winnipeg High School Boys league back in 2003 and went on to play four years with the University of Minnesota-Duluth before graduating and turning pro in 2011.

“I don’t focus on my age,” she said. “I mean, it does take work — eating properly, staying in shape, all those things. And I might be a little more sore after games. But I actually think I’m getting better every year.”

As for Tabin, patience clearly paid off. She nearly walked away from the sport on two occasions — the first time after the COVID-19 pandemic robbed her of the tail end of her senior season in the NCAA with Quinnipiac University in 2020, the second after graduating with two degrees and being uncertain about what options might be available in pro hockey.

Fortunately she stuck with it — something she celebrated when speaking with the Free Press last summer at the Olympic orientation camp in Calgary where 30 hockey hopefuls were brought together.

“Looking back, I needed that. I needed to step away to realize that I really want this badly, if that makes sense. At the time, I didn’t know that. There were not very many opportunities to play anywhere and I didn’t have much money leaving college,” she recalled.

“Do you go play in a league and make maybe $5,000 or do you get a real job? In my brain, it was get a real job and hockey is over. Looking back at that and thinking about quitting is insane, but it’s just part of my journey.”

At the time, Tabin said getting to team up with Larocque and representing Manitoba while wearing the Maple Leaf would be a dream come true.

“I’ve looked up to her for so long. Not only in this league, but past leagues, the Olympics, worlds, the Rivalry Series (between Canada and the U.S.). It’s crazy the amount of achievements that she has, so it’s really cool to have someone here like her to look up to but also compete against,” said Tabin.

Larocque has three assists in 10 games this season for Ottawa, which sits tied for last place in the eighth team league going into Friday’s action. Tabin has one goal and three assists in nine games for Montreal, which is currently fifth, one point ahead of Larocque’s Charge, in the standings.

Local hockey fans will have the chance to celebrate Larocque and Tabin in person when their teams meet at Canada Life Centre on March 22 as part of the PWHL Takeover Tour. Perhaps they will have some gold medals to show off that night?

Canada has won gold five of seven times since women’s hockey made its Olympic debut in Nagano, Japan, in 1998. This year, they will be with the other top four seeds in the world — the United States, Finland, Switzerland and Czechia — in Pool A.

The other five nations — Sweden, Germany, Japan, France and host Italy — are all in Group B. Following round-robin play, eight of the 10 teams — all five in Pool A and the top three in Pool B — advance to the quarterfinals. The semifinals will be held on Feb. 16, with the puck dropping on the gold and bronze medal contests Feb. 19.

The news wasn’t as positive for a couple other Manitobans who were considered longshots. Vancouver Goldeneyes captain Ashton Bell of Deloraine, who won gold with the 2022 Olympic team, didn’t make the cut. Nor did Bell’s Goldeneyes teammate, goaltender Kristen Campbell of Brandon.

www.winnipegfreepress.com/mikemcintyre