‘Means everything’: Emily Clark to play in third Olympics for Team Canada

Emily Clark will make it a hat trick of Olympic Games.

The Saskatoon product has been named to the Canadian Olympic women’s hockey team for the 2026 games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

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“It means everything. Every time you get to be selected to a roster – let alone an Olympic roster – it is such a privilege and a dream come true,” Clark said. “I can’t believe I am going to my third one but I am just as excited as my first one.”

While she has become a mainstay on the Canadian team – competing in a number of world championships as well – Clark said it’s still always a challenge to make the team.

“There’s no guarantees and you just want to do everything you can to be on that roster and fit the puzzle piece they believe will help us be successful at the Olympics,” Clark said. “I’m just grateful I got the good news on that call and I can’t wait to get to Italy.”

This year, she is the only member of the team from Saskatchewan. Since the announcement, she has been feeling the love from the province.

“Being from Saskatchewan, you always root for people from Saskatchewan. You treat people as your own. Any time there has been other athletes from Saskatchewan representing our province on the international stage, you keep tabs and root for them,” said Clark, who plays for the PWHL’s Ottawa Charge.

“I know how I feel cheering on other people from Saskatchewan so I know people are feeling that way for me too whether they know me or they don’t, I can feel they are behind me so I just want to make everyone proud.”

At her first Olympics in 2018, she won a silver medal. In 2022, Canada bounced back to claim gold.

So where are those medals?

“Right now they are in mittens in a drawer in my parents’ house so keep them safe and sound. They aren’t out on display every day but it’s fun to get to share them with others,” Clark said.

Clark said this group is ready to defend that Olympic title.

“We’re ready. We’ve been preparing for these Olympics since the last one ended,” Clark said. “People ask a lot about this season and the preparation but it’s a way bigger picture than that. The core of this group has been together for a long time and we have a lot of experience and have been through a lot together so that’s definitely a strength of ours going into these Olympics to defend gold for Canada.”

This year, the annual rivalry series between Canada and the U.S.A. Team went the way of the Americans, sweeping the four-game set.

“I think in an Olympic year with the rivalry series, you have to take them as experiment games,” Clark said. “It didn’t go our way this season but it’s just part of the process. The Olympics are in February so we’re looking forward to that challenge and you just take those games as experiments and learn what you can from them and know that it’s just part of the process.”

While it can be expected Canada and the U.S. meet for gold, Clark said there’s a lot of top-end talent on other countries’ rosters as well.

“You have to treat every game like it’s a gold medal game and just keep building your game and set yourself up for success to be in that final game,” Clark said. “The competition at the world championship has just increased so much and no team is to be taken lightly.”

But while she’s a veteran on the international stage, it’s still a special time.

“I probably have more games in the Maple Leaf behind me than ahead of me. I’ve been fortunate to represent Canada for quite a few years now and every single time, it’s so special,” Clark said. “You look at the roster that we have going to Italy and I have been able to play a lot of games with those girls so you just build such a strong connection that even practice days are really special to be there.

“Every single time you get to wear (the jersey), it’s special and a dream come true and I’ll never take it for granted.”