Canada Splits Captaincy for 2026 Women's Worlds
Laura Stacey and Renata Fast will share the captaincy as Marie-Philip Poulin sits out with knee surgery.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Hockey
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Canada announced that Laura Stacey and Renata Fast will share the captaincy at the 2026 Women's Worlds, with Fast leading in red jerseys and Stacey in white. Marie-Philip Poulin is not serving as captain after off-season knee surgery that could cost her the 2026-27 PWHL season.
Why it matters
The announcement marks the start of a new cycle for Canada's national women's team following the 2026 Olympics, with a youth-focused roster under general manager Danièle Sauvageau and head coach Kori Cheverie. It also signals a transition for a program that has relied on Poulin's leadership for years.
Seven players are making senior national team debuts and two 18-year-old forwards, Rosalie Tremblay and Hayley McDonald, are on the roster, compared with four alternate captains at Milano Cortina 2026. Poulin's return timeline has not been confirmed.
The players
Marie-Philip Poulin
Poulin is a longtime Canadian hockey captain and Olympic gold medallist who has been the face of the women's national program for over a decade.
Laura Stacey
Stacey is a veteran Canadian forward who has been an alternate captain and will lead the team in white jerseys.
Renata Fast
Fast is a veteran Canadian defender who was among the alternate captains at Milano Cortina 2026 and will captain in red jerseys.
The details
Stacey will captain Canada when it wears white jerseys and Fast will lead when it wears red, while Kristin O'Neill serves as a full-time alternate captain. Canada opens the tournament against Sweden on Friday, November 6, at 9 a.m. ET, and Jenner, Larocque and Natalie Spooner were left off the roster.
Timeline
November 5, 2026: Canada announces the captaincy split and roster.
November 6, 2026: Canada opens the 2026 Women's Worlds against Sweden at 9 a.m. ET.
Season Trajectory
Canada's 2019 Women's Worlds ended in a program-worst bronze after Poulin's knee injury, and the current absence follows a similar pattern. The shared captaincy signals a developmental shift for a program that last won gold at the worlds in 2024.
Fans tracking the national team should note that Stacey and Fast split captaincy by jersey colour, which affects how captaincy appears on the ice. Poulin's absence also affects PWHL viewers who follow her availability for the 2026-27 season.
The takeaway
The split captaincy gives Canada's younger players a visible role as the program rebuilds its leadership group. Watching how the new roster performs in Denmark will show whether the development plan is working.
What happens next
Canada opens the 2026 Women's Worlds against Sweden on Friday, November 6, at 9 a.m. ET.
Further reading
Follow the latest from the Hockey section for more on Canada's national women's program.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TSN.
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