40 skaters representing three provinces earn spots to train with Canada’s national program in Montreal next season
MONTREAL, QUEBEC – Speed Skating Canada is proud to unveil the skaters that have been selected to its National and NextGen short track teams for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
A total of 32 skaters earned a spot on their respective teams, as well as Sport Canada carding, based on their national and international results from last season. The team selections were made in accordance with eligibility and selection criteria outlined in the relevant High Performance Bulletins. An additional 8 skaters have been invited to be part of the National B Team, based on previous results and potential for progress.
As members of the National Program, these athletes will train full-time at the Maurice Richard Areana in Montreal under the guidance of a world-class coaching and support staff. Athletes will have access to an Integrated Support Team based out of INS Québec, experts in sport science, exercise and medicine who will ensure that they are healthy, fit and psychologically ready for optimal performance both on and off the ice.
The most notable omission from this edition of the National Team is Kim Boutin, who retired from the sport following the ISU World Short Track Championships in Montreal last March. The 31-year-old Sherbrooke native was a mainstay with the short track program for nearly a decade, reaching the Olympic podium a record-tying six times, while also winning 79 medals on the World Cup circuit and 16 at the World Championships, including the 500m world title in 2024.
Join us in congratulating the following skaters, who will have the honour of wearing the maple leaf during national and international competitions next season.
National Team
- Ann-Sophie Bachand (QC)
- Claudia Gagnon (QC)
- Courtney Charlong (NB)
- Courtney Sarault (NB)
- Danaé Blais (QC)
- Émanuelle Leclerc (QC)
- Félix Roussel (QC)
- Florence Brunelle (QC)
- Jérôme Courtemanche (QC)
- Jordan Pierre-Gilles (QC)
- Mathieu Pelletier (QC)
- Maxime Laoun (QC)
- Philippe Daudelin (QC)
- Rikki Doak (NB)
- Steven Dubois (QC)
- William Dandjinou (QC)
NextGen Team
- Audrey Roussel (QC)
- Alexis Dubuc-Bilodeau (QC)
- Clara Alexandre-Boudreau (QC)
- Elliot Dufour (QC)
- Émile Fortin (QC)
- Jeremy Bouchard (QC)
- Justin Bessette (QC)
- Kiera Pagé (QC)
- Lyna Hani (QC)
- Qi Miao (QC)
- Mila Boivin (QC)
- Myriam Djouaher (QC)
- Samuel Bureau (QC)
- Victor Chartrand (QC)
- Victor Roy-Lafrance (QC)
- Victoria Jean-Baptiste (QC)
National B Team
- Adam Law (ON)
- Alexandre Migner (QC)
- Annie-Kim Boivin (QC)
- Antoine Gagnon-Lamarche (QC)
- Gabriel Jones (QC)
- Matthew Freitag (ON)
- Océane Guérard (QC)
- Samuel Darveau (QC)
The national short track season gets underway this fall with the 2026 Canadian Short Track Championships presented by Intact Insurance, which are scheduled for September 25-27 in Montreal. This season opening event will help determine which skaters will represent Canada on the international stage. The full 2026-27 national competition calendar is available here.
The historic Pacific Coliseum will host the first ISU Short Track World Tour stop of the season from October 23-25, marking the sport’s return to Vancouver for the first time since the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Following the season opener, the World Tour will return to the Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal from October 30 to November 1, before embarking on five international stops across Asia and Europe. Tickets for both the Vancouver and Montreal events will go on sale later this summer.