U SPORTS has announced six more hockey players selected to represent Canada at the 2027 FISU Winter Universiade, set for Jan. 15–25 in Changchun, China.
Sydney Mercier of Calgary, Mikayla Cranney of Queen’s and Grace Beer of Dalhousie join the women’s team, while Connor Bowie of TMU, Connor Bouchard of Mount Royal and Ben McFarlane of UPEI join the men’s squad.
Women’s hockey
Forwards Sydney Mercier of Calgary and Mikayla Cranney of Queen’s, along with Dalhousie goaltender Grace Beer, join previously announced selections Gabrielle Santerre of Bishop’s, Émilie Lussier of Concordia and Abigail MacKenzie of Saint Mary’s.
“As we continue to build our roster, these three will support the values represented in all 6 athletes that have been announced. The competitive mindset, character, and commitment we believe are essential to winning at the international level. Each brings unique strengths that will contribute to our team’s identity.
Representing Canada is an incredible honour, and we are confident these players understand the excitement, responsibility and pride that comes with representing our country and our league,” said Canadian women’s head coach Josh Gosling, who also leads the Calgary Dinos women’s team.
Sydney Mercier — Forward, Calgary
Mercier, of Saskatoon, scored 12 goals and added seven assists for 19 points in 2025-26.
The Dinos forward won U SPORTS and Canada West rookie of the year honours in 2022-23 and was named to both all-rookie teams.
She is making her second trip to the FISU winter games, as she scored four points and had a +10 rating in five games at Torino 2025.
The 23-year-old was also recognized as an Academic All-Canadian in 2024-25 and is in her fifth and final season with the U of C.
Mikayla Cranney — Forward, Queen’s
Cranney, of Aurora, Ont., earned OUA East first-team all-star honours in 2025-26 after recording 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 26 regular-season games.
The fourth-year Arts and Science student tied for the OUA scoring lead and helped Queen’s reach the national championship.
The Gaels’ captain was named to the OUA All-Rookie Team in 2023-24 and has scored 84 points (42 G, 42 A) in 86 career U SPORTS games.
Grace Beer — Goaltender, Dalhousie
Beer, of Oakville, Ont., returns to Team Canada after winning silver at the 2025 FISU Winter Games in Torino, Italy.
She was named AUS most valuable player and a first-team all-Canadian in 2024-25, earning 14 wins and posting a .950 save percentage.
The Dalhousie goaltender and three-time conference all-star is also part of the Hockey Canada and U SPORTS Creating Coaches program, which provides student-athletes with coaching experience, training and mentorship.
Men’s hockey
All three men’s players captain their university teams and represent the three U SPORTS men’s hockey conferences.
They join previously announced selections Landon Kosior of Saskatchewan, Conor Frenette of UQTR and Cole Huckins of UNB, bringing the men’s roster to six announced players.
“When building out our roster, a priority was to have players that have a high level of compete, positive energy and have strong character. That would be the best way to describe this group of players. All three of these players are captains of their respective programs, have strong leadership attributes and are ultra-competitive,” said Canadian men’s head coach Forbes MacPherson, who also leads the UPEI Panthers men’s team.
Connor Bowie — Forward, TMU
Bowie, of Fort St. John, B.C., is in his fifth season with the Bold. He recorded two goals and four assists for six points in seven games at the 2025 FISU Winter Games in Torino, Italy, helping Canada win gold.
An OUA West second-team all-star in 2024-25, he recorded seven goals and two assists in 12 regular-season games in 2025-26 before adding seven points in six playoff games.
Before joining TMU, Bowie played 222 regular-season games with the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, collecting 40 goals and 29 assists and serving as an alternate captain in his final two seasons.
Connor Bouchard — Forward, Mount Royal
Bouchard, of Cochrane, Alta., is in his fifth season with the Cougars. He won the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy as U SPORTS men’s hockey player of the year in 2023-24 after leading the country with 57 points on 23 goals and 34 assists.
He recorded 39 points in 2025-26 as Mount Royal reached the Canada West final and the University Cup and he earned his third straight Canada West all-star nod. Before joining Mount Royal, Bouchard spent his entire major junior career with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, recording 133 points (36 goals, 97 assists) in 262 regular-season games.
Ben McFarlane — Forward, UPEI
McFarlane, of Ayr, Ont., is in his fourth season with the Panthers, playing under MacPherson at UPEI.
He recorded 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 28 regular-season games in 2025-26.
Before joining UPEI, McFarlane played 201 regular-season games with the OHL’s Guelph Storm, recording 29 goals and 36 assists and was also part of Guelph’s 2019 OHL championship team.
Further roster additions will be announced in the coming weeks ahead of the teams’ departure for China in January 2027.
Support Team Canada
U SPORTS has unveiled its fundraising platform, powered by CanadaHelps, to help send Team Canada to China. Supporters can contribute at en.usports.ca/international/give.
Team Canada hockey rosters — Players announced to date
Men’s team
Goaltenders: None announced.
Defencemen Landon Kosior — Saskatchewan
Forwards
- Connor Bouchard — Mount Royal
- Connor Bowie — TMU
- Conor Frenette — UQTR
- Cole Huckins — UNB
- Ben McFarlane — UPEI
Women’s team
Goaltenders Grace Beer — Dalhousie
Defenders Abigail MacKenzie — Saint Mary’s
Forwards Mikayla Cranney — Queen’s
Émilie Lussier — Concordia
Sydney Mercier — Calgary
Gabrielle Santerre — Bishop’s
