Twelve Buckeyes to Represent Ohio State at 2026 Winter Olympics
1/18/2026 2:00:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Twelve current and former Ohio State women's hockey players will represent their respective countries next month at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. The program will have representatives on five of the 10 women's ice hockey teams at the Olympics, set to start Feb. 5.
Ohio State Women's Hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Five members of the 2025-26 Buckeye women's hockey team will compete for their national teams at the Olympics.
The Buckeyes' Swedish trio of Mira Jungåker, Jenna Raunio and Hilda Svensson, Team USA's Joy Dunne and Finland's Sanni Vanhanen will all take a brief hiatus from the NCAA season to skate on the Olympic stage.
Dunne, Jungåker, Raunio and Svensson will make their Olympic debuts at this year's Olympics. Vanhanen is making her second trip to the Olympics, after helping the 2022 Finnish squad to a bronze medal finish.
Three of the team's top five point producers will play in Milan in February. Svensson is currently the NCAA's rookie leader in points (42), assists (27) and goals (15). She also leads the Buckeyes in points and assists and Joy Dunne leads the team in goals with 24. Vanhanen is third on the team with 11 goals and fifth with 19 points.
Former Buckeyes on the Olympic Stage
Team Canada's roster features four Buckeye alumnae in Jenn Gardiner, Sophie Jaques, Emma Maltais and Natalie Spooner. Gardiner and Jaques make their Olympic debut for Canada this year. Maltais and Spooner were both on the Canadian gold medal team in 2022. Spooner has also helped Hockey Canada to medals in 2018 (silver) and 2014 (gold) with 2026 marking her fourth Olympic appearance.
After years of being teammates at nearly every level of the game, Cayla Barnes and Hannah Bilka will finally play on the Olympic stage together. Bilka makes her Olympic debut this winter and Barnes is set for her third Olympics. Barnes is a two-time Olympic medalist for the United States, winning gold in 2018 and silver in 2022.
Andrea Braendli is back at the Olympics for the third time with Switzerland. The goalie led the 2022 tournament with 242 saves in seven games played as the team's starting netminder.
Ohio State Women's Hockey at the Olympics
The Ohio State women's hockey team has had a representative at every Olympic Games since women's ice hockey became an Olympic sport in 1998. Since then, 11 Buckeyes have made a total of 21 appearances at the Olympics through the games in 2022.
This year's 12 athletes are the most Buckeyes at a single winter games.
Ohio State women's hockey players have won 13 Olympic medals with five gold-medal finishes, three silver and four bronze. A Buckeye has played for gold at the last four Olympics.
Women's Ice Hockey at the XXV Olympiad
The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 hold its opening ceremonies Feb. 6. Women's ice hockey will be contested Feb. 5-19 at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena and Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan. Preliminary rounds will be held Feb. 5-10 before quarterfinal playoffs and semifinals are contested Feb. 13-14 and Feb. 16, respectively. Medal games will be contested Feb. 19.
For more information on game schedule and matchups, visit: https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/schedule/iho.
Ohio State Women's Hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- Cayla Barnes ('24) – USA
- Hannah Bilka ('24) – USA
- Andrea Braendli ('22) - CHE
- Joy Dunne – USA
- Jenn Gardiner ('24) – CAN
- Sophie Jaques ('23) – CAN
- Mira Jungåker – SWE
- Emma Maltais ('23) – CAN
- Jenna Raunio – SWE
- Natalie Spooner ('12) - CAN
- Hilda Svensson – SWE
- Sanni Vanhanen – FIN
Five members of the 2025-26 Buckeye women's hockey team will compete for their national teams at the Olympics.
The Buckeyes' Swedish trio of Mira Jungåker, Jenna Raunio and Hilda Svensson, Team USA's Joy Dunne and Finland's Sanni Vanhanen will all take a brief hiatus from the NCAA season to skate on the Olympic stage.
Dunne, Jungåker, Raunio and Svensson will make their Olympic debuts at this year's Olympics. Vanhanen is making her second trip to the Olympics, after helping the 2022 Finnish squad to a bronze medal finish.
Three of the team's top five point producers will play in Milan in February. Svensson is currently the NCAA's rookie leader in points (42), assists (27) and goals (15). She also leads the Buckeyes in points and assists and Joy Dunne leads the team in goals with 24. Vanhanen is third on the team with 11 goals and fifth with 19 points.
Former Buckeyes on the Olympic Stage
Team Canada's roster features four Buckeye alumnae in Jenn Gardiner, Sophie Jaques, Emma Maltais and Natalie Spooner. Gardiner and Jaques make their Olympic debut for Canada this year. Maltais and Spooner were both on the Canadian gold medal team in 2022. Spooner has also helped Hockey Canada to medals in 2018 (silver) and 2014 (gold) with 2026 marking her fourth Olympic appearance.
After years of being teammates at nearly every level of the game, Cayla Barnes and Hannah Bilka will finally play on the Olympic stage together. Bilka makes her Olympic debut this winter and Barnes is set for her third Olympics. Barnes is a two-time Olympic medalist for the United States, winning gold in 2018 and silver in 2022.
Andrea Braendli is back at the Olympics for the third time with Switzerland. The goalie led the 2022 tournament with 242 saves in seven games played as the team's starting netminder.
Ohio State Women's Hockey at the Olympics
The Ohio State women's hockey team has had a representative at every Olympic Games since women's ice hockey became an Olympic sport in 1998. Since then, 11 Buckeyes have made a total of 21 appearances at the Olympics through the games in 2022.
This year's 12 athletes are the most Buckeyes at a single winter games.
Ohio State women's hockey players have won 13 Olympic medals with five gold-medal finishes, three silver and four bronze. A Buckeye has played for gold at the last four Olympics.
Women's Ice Hockey at the XXV Olympiad
The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 hold its opening ceremonies Feb. 6. Women's ice hockey will be contested Feb. 5-19 at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena and Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan. Preliminary rounds will be held Feb. 5-10 before quarterfinal playoffs and semifinals are contested Feb. 13-14 and Feb. 16, respectively. Medal games will be contested Feb. 19.
For more information on game schedule and matchups, visit: https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/schedule/iho.
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