The first trio of ranked players all enter 2026 after going unranked last year. All three figure to be options for the youth movement on Team Canada after breakout seasons across the PWHL and collegiate hockey.
#25: Kendall Cooper
By: Izzy Morton
Previous ranking: N/A
2026-27 team: PWHL Las Vegas
The 2025 PWHL entry draft was stocked with blueliners; four went off the board in the first round. Kendall Cooper was taken 6th overall, the last in this tier of defenders. The Minnesota Frost, with a blueline pillaged by expansion, gave her ample opportunity, and Cooper stepped up. She tied for first among rookie defenders with Haley Winn and Nicole Gosling at 19 points (2 goals, 17 assists) in the regular season. She was trusted by Ken Klee and staff, playing north of 20 minutes a night on a Frost team looking to three-peat. Splitting time with fellow defender Mae Batherson on the power play, Cooper racked up 6 power play assists, tied for second among PWHL defenders.
Going into expansion, Cooper signed with PWHL Las Vegas on a two-year deal. She is likely to slot into the top two pairings, potentially building on the existing chemistry with Batherson. She has leadership experience from her time with both Quinnipiac and Team Canada’s U18 Women’s World Championship team, making her a valuable piece for establishing the culture in Las Vegas. Entering her sophomore season, Cooper should round out her two-way game, using her skating and speed not only to jump in on the rush and maintain her offensive production but also to quickly close gaps and shut down plays in the defensive end.
#24: Kayle Osborne
By: Natalia Rachman
Previous ranking: N/A
2026-27 team: PWHL Hamilton
The last year has been eventful for Kayle Osborne, to say the least. After making just eight starts and 10 appearances in her rookie season, Osborne’s playing time nearly tripled (27 games) after previous Sirens starter Corinne Schroeder was scooped by Seattle in expansion. For New York, she put up a 2.47 goals-against average, a .906% save percentage, and four shutouts. International breaks didn’t give her a rest either, as Osborne made her Team Canada senior national team debut at the Rivalry Series and went to Milan as the third goaltender on the Olympic roster, though she didn’t see game action.
The rollercoaster didn’t end there — like Schroeder before her, one of the PWHL’s incoming expansion teams came calling for Osborne. She signed a three-year contract with Hamilton in Phase 2 of the PWHL’s expansion distribution process and is in line to take the starting job in the team’s inaugural season. With two of Sandra Abstreiter, Lucy Morgan and Emma-Sofie Nordström behind her on the depth chart, Osborne likely won’t be asked to shoulder as much responsibility as last season, when her second-half numbers clearly suffered under her workload. She’ll have to adjust to a defensive system that isn’t Greg Fargo’s for the first time in six seasons (four at Colgate University, two with the Sirens). But if there’s any coach to do that with, it’s Kris Sparre, whose Boston Fleet allowed the second-fewest goals and shots against in 2025-26.
#23: Kahlen Lamarche
By: LJ Bachenheimer
Previous ranking: N/A
2026-27 team: Quinnipiac Bobcats
Kahlen Lamarche appears on the T25U25 list for the first time after a momentous junior year at Quinnipiac. She led the NCAA in scoring with 42 goals in 41 games and added 22 assists for 64 total points. She broke Quinnipiac’s single-season goals and points records and earned a trophy case of awards, including Second Team All-American, All-USCHO Second Team, All-ECAC All Star, and top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award (the first Bobcat to earn that honor). Lamarche continued developing her game, building out her defensive side and physicality in addition to her knack for goal-scoring. Clearly, it all came together, because Lamarche played a huge role in Quinnipiac’s success and eventual ECAC championship.
The future is bright for Lamarche. She enters her senior season on a Quinnipiac team that looks just as strong as last year’s, so more conference titles and awards are likely in the cards. I expect Lamarche to be a highly coveted pick in the 2027 PWHL Draft. Her high-powered offense and physicality will fit right in on any team. If she performs as well this year as she did last year, I hope that Team Canada takes notice. Bizarrely, Lamarche wasn’t invited to the 2026 national development team camp. But if given the chance, she could absolutely be part of an upcoming youth movement for Canada.
