Laura Fortino selected to Italia Olympic Team at Milano Cortina 2026
January 20, 2026 - Team Italia announced the Women’s Olympic hockey team and former Canadian Olympian (PyeongChang 2018, Sochi 2014), Defender, Laura Fortino was named to the Italian Olympic Hockey Team. In the lead up to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, Team Italia trained in Montrèal, Quebec, Canada under 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame builder Daniele Sauvageau who will be the General Manager of the squad. Daniele formerly was with Canadian Olympic Team that won Gold at Salt Lake 2002 and is the G.M. the past 3 seasons in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Victoire de Montrèal.
Laura honored her family roots who all emigrated from Italy to Canada as she was eligible to earn her Italian passport through her family. She made the move to change her nationality for hockey in compliance with all International Ice Hockey Federation rules including playing professionally for Real Torino, Neumarket/Egna & EV Bozen Eagles in the European Women’s Hockey League, and forgoing an opportunity to play in the Professional Women’s Hockey League to qualify for the Italian Women’s National Team. She will look to join the PWHL Draft in 2026.
During her time with Team Italy, the national team has been promoted via their DOMINATE PERFORMANCE at the IIHF Division 1-B World Championship in April 2025 (Dumfries, Great Britain) with a dominant performance that saw Italy win with 5 straight shutouts never surrendering a goal, outscoring their opponents 31-0 in games (vs Latvia in the Gold medal match and games versus Great Britain, Kazakstan, South Korea and Slovenia).
Italy in 2026 will play one level below the highest tier of the IIHF Women’s World Championship in Division 1-A (China, France, Hungary, Norway and Slovakia complete the field).
