2026 Canadian Nationals: General Info and Pregame Chat | Page 2 | Golden Skate

2026 Canadian Nationals: General Info and Pregame Chat

RatedPG said:
I recall him being a focused carrot 🥕 giver. So, should be a fair competition in 3/4 events
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Senior Men will have Jayson Peace, who was at Skate America 2024 (men), GP Espoo 2023 (women) and JGP Varese 2025 (women). Corey Sutherland too, he was at JGP Gdansk 2024 for men. It should be fair for the men too
 
Mark Hanretty is joining Ted for commentary on the Men's events:


Also confirmed are Kaetlyn Osmond (Women), Kirsten Moore-Towers (Pairs) and Kaitlyn Weaver (Ice Dance) for English commentary. French commentary is Alicia Pineault, Charlie Bilodeau, Elisabeth Paradis and Laurence Darveau. I'm guessing Lisa Carriere may join Ted again for Synchro.
 
How much does Mark actually know about the Canadian domestic scene? I know that he can catch up with Challenge and the BC and Quebec sectionals on DailyMotion, but it is trickier for the Ontario skaters now unless Ted can get him some footage from there.
 
FlossieH said:
How much does Mark actually know about the Canadian domestic scene? I know that he can catch up with Challenge and the BC and Quebec sectionals on DailyMotion, but it is trickier for the Ontario skaters now unless Ted can get him some footage from there.
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well... he is only covering men, I suppose because Kevin Reynolds is on the TP.

He won't need to know much .. only 18 skaters... and a third or more of these are already known from GP and JGP
 
4everchan said:
well... he is only covering men, I suppose because Kevin Reynolds is on the TP.

He won't need to know much .. only 18 skaters... and a third or more of these are already known from GP and JGP
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36 skaters, surely? I haven't done a full check, but I don't think any of those competing as juniors did the JGP this year.
 
FlossieH said:
36 skaters, surely? I haven't done a full check, but I don't think any of those competing as juniors did the JGP this year.
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There's been a pretty big turnover for the Junior Men, 5 moved up to Seniors and then more moved up from Novice. William is the only one of the Juniors who has been on the JGP (last season in Ankara.) I think he'll be fine with the Juniors after working on the JGP and understanding that most of them are at different stages of their development.
 
Skate picks are up and running (thanks to the organizers !)

I already posted mine... which are for the game... and trying to do well..

but here are my sentimental favourites :)

in women, I'd love it for Gabby to win the title. It may not be enough to get to Milan but it would be quite a way to finish (potentially) her career.
I'd also be thrilled for Sara-Maude to win the title too with a gorgeous triple axel. Gotta make history more than one way.
I find it cool that 3 women are former champions at Nationals this year. This hasn't happened in a long time. (I am guessing 2018? )
I wish Minsol to skate well at her first Nationals for Canada.

in men, my heart is with Gogo. I never thought in my entire life I would write such words because Stephen is not exactly the kind of skater I like. However, after all the troubles he has met growing so tall and with the injuries, I wish this badly for him. I think there are only two men vying for the olympic spot, and the winner, if it's Stephen or Roman will punch their tickets. I usually like Keegan but it's a pass for me this year. I don't like that he returned that way, too late to get GP spots... Too late to recover his jumps. To me, that's a badly thought comeback and I don't support that. So in that sense, I'd prefer having Wesley, post-injury as well, on the podium.
My favourites for men are part of the next crop of skaters though : John Kim, Eddy Vasii and Anthony Paradis. I prefer these guys to Aleksa or Matthew but that's just me :). May Bruce Waddell have the skates of his life !!!!!

In dance, the real battle will be for bronze. I am torn because I love both teams competing for it but this year, MJ and Romain have much better programs than Alicia and Paul. May Everest stand high and keep ascending the rankings !

Pairs : it's hard not to root for our podium winners from last year. They all have something special about them. I am wishing Ava and Yoni an amazing Nationals as they are confirmed on the 4CC team ! WOOT !

I will also be looking forward to some juniors : Lia Cho Victoria. The top 6 in ice dance (wow !!!!) and may Étienne and Julia win nationals in pairs !

What are you thoughts ?
 
4everchan said:
Skate picks are up and running (thanks to the organizers !)

I already posted mine... which are for the game... and trying to do well..

but here are my sentimental favourites :)

in women, I'd love it for Gabby to win the title. It may not be enough to get to Milan but it would be quite a way to finish (potentially) her career.
I'd also be thrilled for Sara-Maude to win the title too with a gorgeous triple axel. Gotta make history more than one way.
I find it cool that 3 women are former champions at Nationals this year. This hasn't happened in a long time. (I am guessing 2018? )
I wish Minsol to skate well at her first Nationals for Canada.

in men, my heart is with Gogo. I never thought in my entire life I would write such words because Stephen is not exactly the kind of skater I like. However, after all the troubles he has met growing so tall and with the injuries, I wish this badly for him. I think there are only two men vying for the olympic spot, and the winner, if it's Stephen or Roman will punch their tickets. I usually like Keegan but it's a pass for me this year. I don't like that he returned that way, too late to get GP spots... Too late to recover his jumps. To me, that's a badly thought comeback and I don't support that. So in that sense, I'd prefer having Wesley, post-injury as well, on the podium.
My favourites for men are part of the next crop of skaters though : John Kim, Eddy Vasii and Anthony Paradis. I prefer these guys to Aleksa or Matthew but that's just me :). May Bruce Waddell have the skates of his life !!!!!

In dance, the real battle will be for bronze. I am torn because I love both teams competing for it but this year, MJ and Romain have much better programs than Alicia and Paul. May Everest stand high and keep ascending the rankings !

Pairs : it's hard not to root for our podium winners from last year. They all have something special about them. I am wishing Ava and Yoni an amazing Nationals as they are confirmed on the 4CC team ! WOOT !

I will also be looking forward to some juniors : Lia Cho Victoria. The top 6 in ice dance (wow !!!!) and may Étienne and Julia win nationals in pairs !

What are you thoughts ?
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Women
I’m rooting for SMD over Maddie and Gabby…
To finally have a Canadian Lady land that 3A is an extraordinary achievement and I want her to have another Warsaw performance to solidify her Olympic spot
Also, I have to root for Kaiya/Fee Ann to grab 4CC spots. They have outside chances, but, need to outperform Gabby and Uliana.
Also, I hope Minsol does better than at Challenge. I wonder if her paperwork is handled and if she is even eligible for Junior Worlds.

Men
I will always support Roman. But, if Stephen wins, I will be glad for Stephen as he is our best hope for a top ten finish at both the Olympics and Worlds.

Pairs
Everyone is underestimating Kelly Ann and Loucas. They finished higher in the GP standings than Lia and Trennt. They could nab the second spot if they finish in second place

When did Yohnathan and Ava get the 4CC spot? I wasn’t aware of any announcements??

Dance

I think Paul and Alicia are fighting for the 4th spot. The top three teams have locked down their Olympic spots
 
Women - picking was hard 😭 I am hoping Sara-Maude can be on the podium again, I couldn't decide between her and Gabrielle for bronze. I hope Uliana can do well enough to secure a 4CC spot, it would be a shame if SCI were her only international event this season. Maddie, I hope she has a short program that she loves and Alois Lutz leaves her alone before lutzes become as fake as flips.

Men - Roman vs Gogo has been a fun rivalry this season, however it ends I think they'll have a Nationals they can be proud of. Also should be the last round of Grayson vs Anthony vs David B this season (also possibly the last competition with all the Davids depending on David S switching to Pairs)

Ice Dance - I'm interested in who will get a 4CC spot between Fournier/Zhu, Gauthier/Thieren and Nguyen/Giang. I'm rooting for Fournier/Zhu. I also hope that Robinson/Portz do get an assignment since they came 3rd at Challenge and didn't get a chance to get minimums.

Pairs - Yunoki/Taylor are fun and I hope they keep up their trajectory so they can get assignments.
 
RatedPG said:
Women
I’m rooting for SMD over Maddie and Gabby…
To finally have a Canadian Lady land that 3A is an extraordinary achievement and I want her to have another Warsaw performance to solidify her Olympic spot
Also, I have to root for Kaiya/Fee Ann to grab 4CC spots. They have outside chances, but, need to outperform Gabby and Uliana.
Also, I hope Minsol does better than at Challenge. I wonder if her paperwork is handled and if she is even eligible for Junior Worlds.

Men
I will always support Roman. But, if Stephen wins, I will be glad for Stephen as he is our best hope for a top ten finish at both the Olympics and Worlds.

Pairs
Everyone is underestimating Kelly Ann and Loucas. They finished higher in the GP standings than Lia and Trennt. They could nab the second spot if they finish in second place

When did Yohnathan and Ava get the 4CC spot? I wasn’t aware of any announcements??

Dance

I think Paul and Alicia are fighting for the 4th spot. The top three teams have locked down their Olympic spots
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I'd be beyond myself if Fée Ann got a 4CC spot. As you know, she's my favourite jumper. HUGE jumps like we rarely see. In some ways, she reminds me of Josée Chouinard though they have different skillsets with jumps... but both were hot and cold and both had huge, difficult to control, jumps. They also both have this flair, though Josée was definitely a better skater all-around than Fée Ann is at the moment. In any case, I just made the parallel in my head, which sounds right to me as I really like Fée Ann and Josée was my first skating crush.
 
I tend not to do picks except for Cdns because I don't know a lot of the skaters well enough. This year, I had difficulty leaving people off the top 5 list. That is a good thing - we have a lot of good competition this year. I hope this is a trend.

I think that Stephen will place over Roman - if he lands his jumps which are like butter when he is on. While Roman has improved a lot this season, he has IMHO reached the upper limit of what he can do on the ice and the judges know this. Lots of hooks and poor flow on his jumps. I think Stephen has more to show as a skater and I hope he brings it to Cdns. John Kim is my heart's choice because I have to have one. Ever hopeful and hopefully rewarded for that :) Keegan - he will only be held up for sentimental reasons but who knows. I hope Wesley also shows what he can do - he has so much potential. Aleksa can surprise when others fail but, like Roman, not sure he has more to show us.

Women is likely the hardest. I am not sure Gabbie has the goods to go to the Olympics. She is fast and fierce but has been pretty unstable. Of course Maddie is unstable too. I am hoping that somehow she can keep Lion King because how she skates to that will get her into the final free skate. Otherwise, not sure. SMD - I think next year she will get more love from the judges but not so sure about this year. My heart's choice for a top 5 is Megan Woodley - so impressed with her at Challenge where she won the freeskate. Minsol and Kaiya need to get those rotations. I think Minsol at this point is more likely to but I do love Kaiya's expression.

Dance - I think Lauriault/LeGac will win bronze for sure. My heart's choice for top 5 is Hensen/Lickers although Robinson/Portz and Fornier/Zhu are in hot competition for that spot. I have a big heart though.

Pairs - I am worried about both our top 2 teams with their mistakes internationally. I put Lia/Trentt above Deanna/Maxime because I think the former need a confidence booster - they are really good but need to do it on both days, and the latter need ? My heart's choice goes to Yunoki/Taylor who are so charismatic and charming. I left off Desrochers/Thrasher from the top 5 but might regret it. They are unstable but have so much potential to be really competitive. Judges love them but they need to be more consistent. So glad to hear Kemp/Elizarov got 4CC. I am assuming that Laurin/Ethier and D/T will go with them.

Can hardly wait!
 
Cutting the ice said:
I tend not to do picks except for Cdns because I don't know a lot of the skaters well enough. This year, I had difficulty leaving people off the top 5 list. That is a good thing - we have a lot of good competition this year. I hope this is a trend.

I think that Stephen will place over Roman - if he lands his jumps which are like butter when he is on. While Roman has improved a lot this season, he has IMHO reached the upper limit of what he can do on the ice and the judges know this. Lots of hooks and poor flow on his jumps. I think Stephen has more to show as a skater and I hope he brings it to Cdns. John Kim is my heart's choice because I have to have one. Ever hopeful and hopefully rewarded for that :) Keegan - he will only be held up for sentimental reasons but who knows. I hope Wesley also shows what he can do - he has so much potential. Aleksa can surprise when others fail but, like Roman, not sure he has more to show us.

Women is likely the hardest. I am not sure Gabbie has the goods to go to the Olympics. She is fast and fierce but has been pretty unstable. Of course Maddie is unstable too. I am hoping that somehow she can keep Lion King because how she skates to that will get her into the final free skate. Otherwise, not sure. SMD - I think next year she will get more love from the judges but not so sure about this year. My heart's choice for a top 5 is Megan Woodley - so impressed with her at Challenge where she won the freeskate. Minsol and Kaiya need to get those rotations. I think Minsol at this point is more likely to but I do love Kaiya's expression.

Dance - I think Lauriault/LeGac will win bronze for sure. My heart's choice for top 5 is Hensen/Lickers although Robinson/Portz and Fornier/Zhu are in hot competition for that spot. I have a big heart though.

Pairs - I am worried about both our top 2 teams with their mistakes internationally. I put Lia/Trentt above Deanna/Maxime because I think the former need a confidence booster - they are really good but need to do it on both days, and the latter need ? My heart's choice goes to Yunoki/Taylor who are so charismatic and charming. I left off Desrochers/Thrasher from the top 5 but might regret it. They are unstable but have so much potential to be really competitive. Judges love them but they need to be more consistent. So glad to hear Kemp/Elizarov got 4CC. I am assuming that Laurin/Ethier and D/T will go with them.

Can hardly wait!
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I think D/T don't have 4cc minimums..
PS : I enjoyed reading your insights
 
Well.. im betting on Gabby. she looks strong... Madeline is too inconsistent. I mean Gabby hasnt been perfect all year either but I think she will win. I have Maddy 2nd and Sara Maude 3rd. Breken Brezden 4th. If Breken skates clean and more importantly rotates her jumps.. she will be up there. At challenge she skated a great FS but got absolutely nailed with Q calls. She will be a mid 120s FS score if clean. I have Minsol 4th and Kaiya 5th. Men.. GOGO will take it.. Keegan 2nd and Roman 3rd. I wouldnt be shocked at any order of those 3 in the top 3 though. Pairs obv the top 2 are heavily favoured but I have Yoni and Ava for bronze. Dance again I think top 3 is pretty locked in with Piper and Paul, Lala and L/Le gac
 
If anyone isn't sure who has what CTES minimums, I made a post with them all. Desrochers/Thrasher don't have 4CC by less than a point 😭

S

Thread '2025-26 Canadian Olympic/Championship Selection Criteria and Pools'

This will cover who has minimums for what, the spots and what the criteria are in one thread. Plenty of discussion to be had about who should be chosen for what. Criteria is from the International Selection Criteria on the Skate Canada website. Championship selection criteria is here.

First the pools in one post so that it can be referred to. 4CC and Olympics have the same CTES. Skaters who have 4CC/Olympics are not currently eligible to be named to the Worlds team, while those with Worlds could be named to all three (in theory, but not in practice as it is likely 4CC and...
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saine said:
If anyone isn't sure who has what CTES minimums, I made a post with them all. Desrochers/Thrasher don't have 4CC by less than a point 😭

S

Thread '2025-26 Canadian Olympic/Championship Selection Criteria and Pools'

This will cover who has minimums for what, the spots and what the criteria are in one thread. Plenty of discussion to be had about who should be chosen for what. Criteria is from the International Selection Criteria on the Skate Canada website. Championship selection criteria is here.

First the pools in one post so that it can be referred to. 4CC and Olympics have the same CTES. Skaters who have 4CC/Olympics are not currently eligible to be named to the Worlds team, while those with Worlds could be named to all three (in theory, but not in practice as it is likely 4CC and...
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Thank you for the reminder. I forgot that. Too bad
 
RatedPG said:
Pairs
Everyone is underestimating Kelly Ann and Loucas. They finished higher in the GP standings than Lia and Trennt. They could nab the second spot if they finish in second place

When did Yohnathan and Ava get the 4CC spot? I wasn’t aware of any announcements??
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I mean, that really doesn't matter much though (beyond GPF range); it just speaks to the uneven depth of the fields. Scores and head to head are what matter, and both of those favour Pereira/Michaud. At Skate Canada, P/M were 4th with 186.54 and L/E were 5th with 168.24. Then L/E had 182.87 at Skate America and P/M had 191.33 at GP Finlandia. Both P/M's scores were higher than L/E's best, and they beat them head to head by more than 18 points. I don't think L/E beating them at Nationals would be enough, unless the margin was significant.
 
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