Skate Canada Names 2025-2026 National Team

[danafan]

Skate Canada Names 24 Athletes & Three Synchronized Skating Teams to 2025-2026 National Team

OTTAWA, ON (July 3, 2025) – Skate Canada is excited [...]

skatecanada.ca

Women
Sara-Maude Dupuis | 20 | Montreal, Que. | Stéphane Yvars & Françoise Parisé | Boucherville, Que.
Katherine Medland-Spence | 24 | Ottawa, Ont. | Ken Rose & Danielle Rose | Richmond Hill, Ont.
Madeline Schizas | 22 | Oakville, Ont. | Nancy Lemaire | Milton, Ont.

Men
Stephen Gogolev | 20 | Toronto, Ont. | Lee Barkell | Toronto, Ont.
David Li | 18 | Richmond, B.C. | Bianca Butler | Irvine, CA
Anthony Paradis | 18 | Boisbriand, Que. | Yvan Desjardins & Violaine Émard | Rosemère, Que.
Aleksa Rakic | 20| Burnaby, B.C. | Joanne McLeod | Burnaby, B.C.
Roman Sadovsky | 26 | Vaughan, Ont. | Tracey Wainman & Grzegorz Filipowski | Richmond Hill, Ont.

Pair
Fiona Bombardier | 20 | Newmarket, Ont. & Benjamin Mimar | 24 | Toronto, Ont. | Julie Marcotte | Sainte-Julie, Que.
Kelly Ann Laurin | 19 | St-Jérôme, Que. & Loucas Éthier | 25 | Deux-Montagnes, Que. | Stéphanie Valois | Rosemère, Que.
Lia Pereira | 21 | Milton, Ont. & Trennt Michaud | 28 | Trenton, Ont. | Alison Purkiss & Nancy Lemaire | Brantford, Ont.
Deanna Stellato-Dudek | 42 | Chicago, USA & Maxime Deschamps | 33 | Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. | Josée Picard | Sainte-Julie, Que.

Ice Dance
Alicia Fabbri | 22 | Terrebonne, Que. & Paul Ayer | 27 | Brossard, Que. | Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon | Montreal, Que.
Piper Gilles | 33| Toronto, Ont. & Paul Poirier | 33 | Unionville, Ont. | Carol Lane & Juris Razgulajevs | Scarborough, Ont.
Marjorie Lajoie | 24 | Boucherville, Que. & Zachary Lagha | 26 | Saint-Hubert, Que. | Romain Haguenauer & Patrice Lauzon | Montreal, Que.
Marie-Jade Lauriault | 28 | Ste-Anne-Des-Plaines, Que. & Romain Le Gac | 30 | Laval, Que. | Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon | Montreal, Que.

Synchronized Skating
Les Suprêmes | Pascal Denis & Marilyn Langlois | Saint-Léonard, Que.
NEXXICE | Jennifer Beauchamp-Chrichton & Shelley Simonton Barnett | Burlington, Ont.
Nova | Dominic Barthe & Nadine Tougas | Brossard, Que. & St-Hubert, Que.

 

[fan]

Interesting. Didn't it used to be top 5? I feel bad for Kaiya, Breken, and others...

 

[danafan]

Interesting. Didn't it used to be top 5? I feel bad for Kaiya, Breken, and others...

It's been a while but yes it used to be the top 5. I think they changed it after 2018. We'll see if the women's TDB for Skate Canada International gets added to the national team.

 

[Alilou]

No Kaiya. And no Wesley Chiu! (I remember he was injured - but is he still?)

 

[almiranara]

No Kaiya. And no Wesley Chiu! (I remember he was injured - but is he still?)

he's recovering from ankle surgery he got last month

 

[Winnipeg]

Interesting. Didn't it used to be top 5? I feel bad for Kaiya, Breken, and others...

Me too. Why would Kaiya not be on the team, she was the national champ last year and was 4th this year after coming in 3rd in the LP at Nationals

 

[Karen-W]

Me too. Why would Kaiya not be on the team, she was the national champ last year and was 4th this year after coming in 3rd in the LP at Nationals

Because Skate Canada's criteria for the National Team is as follows:

1) Medalists from the most recent Nationals
2) Anyone with a GP

 

[danafan]

Me too. Why would Kaiya not be on the team, she was the national champ last year and was 4th this year after coming in 3rd in the LP at Nationals

The criteria has been the same for about six years now and Ruiter didn’t meet it.

 

[honey]

What does being on the national team realistically even mean at this point? You don’t need to be on it to be considered for international events, correct?

Their own funding criteria document doesn’t mention national team as being one of the criteria specifically (though it does indirectly as top 3 at nationals does meet one of the criteria for funding). But there are other criteria that could qualify someone from funding as well and they wouldn’t have to be on the national team to do it.

Back in the day I remember the big to do about being top 5 at nationals because it meant funding and the potential to be assigned to international events the next season (this piece might have not always been mandatory to get assignments). But now it doesn’t seem to mean as much? Would be happy to have someone correct me on this if im way off on this.

 

[Aceon6]

What does being on the national team realistically even mean at this point?

You get the 2025-26 jacket.

 

[kwanfan1818]

If someone is assigned a TBA spot, are they promoted to the national team?

 

[danafan]

If someone is assigned a TBA spot, are they promoted to the national team?

In the past, no, at least not published on the Skate Canada website. I'm thinking of Pineault who was a sub at SCI (and was also named to the 2020 world team) who was never named to the national team.

There have always been skaters who were not named to the national team who get international assignments based on the criteria. I'm sure there are some benefits to being on the national team (access to services like physio, nutrition etc).

I wish Skate Canada would publish the list of athletes receiving AAP (Athlete assistance program, colloquially known as "carding"). They do have the carding criteria posted on their website. I would be shocked for example if Wesley Chiu was not still a carded athlete despite not being named to the most recent national team. If that's the case I don't know why they don't extend the national team criteria to include currently carded athletes. I would suspect Ruiter is also carded athlete but I have no way of knowing for sure.

 

[Winnipeg]

Thanks for the explanation. I may not like the fact Kaiya is not on the team but if those are the rules..........sigh

 

[4rkidz]

In the past, no, at least not published on the Skate Canada website. I'm thinking of Pineault who was a sub at SCI (and was also named to the 2020 world team) who was never named to the national team.

There have always been skaters who were not named to the national team who get international assignments based on the criteria. I'm sure there are some benefits to being on the national team (access to services like physio, nutrition etc).

I wish Skate Canada would publish the list of athletes receiving AAP (Athlete assistance program, colloquially known as "carding"). They do have the carding criteria posted on their website. I would be shocked for example if Wesley Chiu was not still a carded athlete despite not being named to the most recent national team. If that's the case I don't know why they don't extend the national team criteria to include currently carded athletes. I would suspect Ruiter is also carded athlete but I have no way of knowing for sure.

Unless its changed there used to be two levels of AAP funding from the feds to the sporting bodies. When our daughter was competing and funded there were policies that included being injured/sick etc. I would guess that Ruiter would get full or half carding same with Chiu. I know many of the other sports list their athletes who are carded. Its also different the Olympic year - or it used to be.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Because Skate Canada's criteria for the National Team is as follows:

1) Medalists from the most recent Nationals
2) Anyone with a GP

Stingyyyyyyy

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I mean come on Belgium almost has more of a national women’s team then Canada these days.

 

[danafan]

Unless its changed there used to be two levels of AAP funding from the feds to the sporting bodies. When our daughter was competing and funded there were policies that included being injured/sick etc. I would guess that Ruiter would get full or half carding same with Chiu. I know many of the other sports list their athletes who are carded. Its also different the Olympic year - or it used to be.

Yes, I have a pretty good understanding of the current carding rules based on my involvement in gymnastics and this is basically correct. I personally think all NSOs should be required to publish their list of carded athletes as it's funded with federal money. It seems ridiculous to me that you could be a carded athlete but not have national team status.

 

[danafan]

This is the Skate Canada carding document for 2025-2026 (the carding cycle is July 1 to June 30).

https://skatecanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025-2026-Skate-Canada-Carding-Criteria-EN.pdf

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Yes, I have a pretty good understanding of the current carding rules based on my involvement in gymnastics and this is basically correct. I personally think all NSOs should be required to publish their list of carded athletes as it's funded with federal money. It seems ridiculous to me that you could be a carded athlete but not have national team status.

I find it quite strange that there's no requirement to publish a list of athletes receiving funding. In the arts, the names of all grant recipients are made available (although not always right away).

 

[jmtfti]

Skate Canada did in years past publish the list of athletes receiving funding through the Sport Canada AAP, though it was deeply buried on the website. Other Canadian sporting feds, like Athletics Canada, seem to still make lists available (or have in the past couple of years), but I'm no longer turning up SC's on a cursory search.

 

[4rkidz]

Yes, I have a pretty good understanding of the current carding rules based on my involvement in gymnastics and this is basically correct. I personally think all NSOs should be required to publish their list of carded athletes as it's funded with federal money. It seems ridiculous to me that you could be a carded athlete but not have national team status.

I agree.

 

[Winnipeg]

Not to belabor the point but I still think KR should have been given a GP assignment AND place on the national team.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Not to belabor the point but I still think KR should have been given a GP assignment AND place on the national team.

How would she be given a GP assignment? The only spots that SC has to give away are the 3 host spots at Skate Canada. Her SB was only 73rd, so nowhere near earning a spot at another GP. For the host spots, SC chose Schizas and Dupuis, who won gold and silver at nationals and have higher SBs than Kaiya. They could have not selected Schizas for SC and let her get two spots elsewhere, but I don't think that would be a good marketing strategy. Dupuis probably would not have gotten one without the SC spot. So that just leaves the 3rd Skate Canada spot, which I'm sure Kaiya has a good shot at.

 

[danafan]

Ruiter was only fourth at nationals and on the ISU season best list from last year there are 5 Canadian senior women with higher scores than her (Schizas, Medland-Spence, Shiryaeva, Dupuis, Landry - in that order btw). I think there are a few contenders for the SCI TBD and I don't think Ruiter deserves it more than anyone else at this point.

 

[Winnipeg]

Good points.

Any thoughts on what is holding her back?

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Good points.

Any thoughts on what is holding her back?

While I don't remember the specifics now, when I saw KR live at Canadian Nats it seemed to me that some of her jump technique was wonky and her skating looked on the "junior-ish" side. She's still young and is obviously a great competitor so I really hope that Wilson and Orser have a longterm plan for her.

 

[tony]

While I don't remember the specifics now, when I saw KR live at Canadian Nats it seemed to me that some of her jump technique was wonky and her skating looked on the "junior-ish" side. She's still young and is obviously a great competitor so I really hope that Wilson and Orser have a longterm plan for her.

Seemed that her jump technique was wonky? Well, that's a light way to put it. She kept going for the 3+3 in the short and that 3T is rotated on worse levels than what Thorngren was always getting called for. Her jump technique in general is loose and conducive to issues. Her skating basics are quite clunky, too, and haven't shown tremendous improvement since she was getting featured on the JGP.

A lot of work-- starting from the foundations-- is needed if she's going anywhere at (or even getting to) the international level.

 

[Aceon6]

Seemed that her jump technique was wonky? Well, that's a light way to put it. She kept going for the 3+3 in the short and that 3T is rotated on worse levels than what Thorngren was always getting called for. Her jump technique in general is loose and conducive to issues. Her skating basics are quite clunky, too, and haven't shown tremendous improvement since she was getting featured on the JGP.

A lot of work-- starting from the foundations-- is needed if she's going anywhere at (or even getting to) the international level.

My impression is that she has lovely hands, port de bras, good speed, and great expression. Now if everything else was of the same quality…