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The 2026 Winter Olympics were a tough time for Team Canada hockey teams. Sure, there’s a lot of pride to be had in a silver medal. But for both the men’s and women’s teams, gold was always the goal. 

While the women’s team had a bit of a scare against Team Switzerland in the semi finals, it was something of a foregone conclusion that they would end up facing a juggernaut U.S. team in the final. In that final, the U.S. team was favoured to the tune of -500 (for non-betting folks, that means a lot). 

In the end—I think everyone who PVR’d it has watched by now—the Canadians almost squeaked out the win only to lose in overtime 2-1. 

While none of the hometown Vancouver Goldeneyes players suited up for the U.S. team that won gold, five of the six Goldeneyes Olympians won silver with Team Canada. So, like we did with the Vancouver Canucks, let’s grade the performances of the Goldeneyes players at the Olympics. 

Jennifer Gardiner, Canada

One of the Goldeneyes’ top forwards, the Surrey-raised Gardiner has endeared herself to the Vancouver crowd. She’s tied for the lead in points among Vancouver forwards with eight in 16 games and has represented her hometown with pride since coming over from Montreal. 

At the Olympics, Gardiner clearly didn’t have the full trust of the coaching staff, as she only averaged 7:24 of ice time per game. She put up one goal in the seven games she played. We think that usage was a mistake (OK, we’re biased as we put her, along with Emerance Maschmeyer, on our November cover). And yes, Gardiner is still young (she was a PWHL Rookie of the Year finalist last year), but we think she was underutilized here. Grade: C+

Sophie Jaques, Canada

Jaques name is pronounced “Jakes” and the Toronto defender has come as advertised for the Goldeneyes. She’s been one of the team’s best players, though it must be said that, like most Goldeneyes players, she hasn’t had an overwhelming amount of success this year. Last season, with the Minnesota Frost, Jaques put up 22 points in 25 games. This year, she’s got seven in 16. In Italy, she performed well, putting up three points in seven games while averaging just under 17 minutes of ice time per night and coming in at plus-5. Grade: B

Emerance Maschmeyer, Canada

Maschmeyer won gold in 2022 as the backup netminder for Team Canada and she played that role once again in 2026. Maschmeyer appeared in relief against the U.S. and garnered wins in her two starts (one of which was a shutout), posting a sparkling .956 save percentage in the process. Twenty-three shots over two starts and a relief appearance isn’t much, but Maschmeyer was as close to perfect as it gets, only allowing one goal during that stretch. 

She’s been great for Vancouver this year too, posting a .930 save percentage and a 4-5-2 record as the Goldeneyes have struggled offensively this year. Grade: A

Sarah Nurse, Canada

The Goldeneyes’ biggest name has been great when she’s played for Vancouver this year. In five games, Nurse has four goals and six points. A decorated Olympian who starred for Canada in 2022 with 18 points in seven games (!), Nurse had a tough tournament this time around, only registering two assists in seven games. It’s possible that she’s still recovering from the upper-body injury that has caused her to miss so many games this season, but Goldeneyes fans can no doubt look forward to Nurse causing havoc in the PWHL soon. Grade: C

Claire Thompson, Canada

Thompson’s Olympics came to a disappointing end, which some people on the internet jumped all over. But the Toronto-born defender has been the Goldeneyes’ best player this season with nine points in 15 games. She’s also an absolute beauty of a person. Thompson continued her solid play at the Olympics, where she put up four points in seven games from the backend. Yes, the end was tough, but it’s a footnote in what’s otherwise been a tremendous calendar year for Thompson, who was part of the 2025 Walter Cup-winning Minnesota Frost. Grade: B+

Tereza Vanišová, Czechia

Only one Czech player scored more than two points at the Olympics, so it wasn’t a great tournament for Team Czechia. Vanišová had an assist in five games but was an even in plus-minus and played over 17 minutes a night on average. With eight points in 16 games for the Goldeneyes, Vanišová has been one of the team’s most productive players. It was always going to be difficult to make a massive impact with Czechia, but it was an admirable effort. Grade: C+

The Goldeneyes continue their season on March 1.