In a matter of days, the opening ceremony for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, the 25th edition of the event, will take place, putting the world’s best athletes together on their respective events’ biggest showcase before an international audience.

Six active student-athletes from three Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) programs are set to take the jump from the collegiate game to the world stage this February.

Additionally, AHA will see representation behind the bench as Syracuse head coach Britni Smith is serving as an assistant on Hockey Canada’s coaching staff. League official and Robert Morris women’s hockey alumna Kirsten Welsh is set to work the women’s tournament as a linesperson.

AHA has representation from numerous countries and roles at the upcoming tournament, making it even more likely that the league’s influence will be felt on the ice in Milano Cortina.

AHA on the Olympic Stage
Active players from the conference that have been named to Olympic rosters include Penn State’s Tessa Janecke (USA), Nicole Hall (Sweden) and Matilde Fantin (Italy), Mercyhurst’s Julia Schalin (Finland) and Lindenwood’s French duo of Lucie Quarto and Elina Zilliox.

For AHA’s Olympians, the chance to compete at the Division I level is rare. Still, the opportunity to represent your country on the world stage with an event of this significance is once in a lifetime for most.

These individuals may represent different countries, programs and countless other factors. However, the individuals have competed, and some have developed within AHA to help them prepare for success in the upcoming games.

“I think it is just cool to see how many people are actually going and getting to represent their country, and just how they’ve been able to be developed throughout this year in our league, as well as some out-of-conference as well. It is cool to see [and it] is good for the league to have anyone going to the Olympics,” Janecke said.

Few moments in life hold as much significance as finding out you are going to represent your country on the Olympic stage.

“As busy as it has been this year, you remember how grateful you are for the opportunity and how excited I would have been as a little kid playing hockey, wishing and hoping that I would make the Olympics,” Smith shared.

These games might not look the same to everyone, depending on who is in the locker room. Whether you stand behind the bench or return to it after a shift, for Welsh, her angle as an official could be the most unique perspective among those with conference ties.

Welsh credits her roots in officiating to her days playing with the Colonials in AHA and being introduced to the right people while playing at the collegiate level. Officiating was not the route Welsh had envisioned for an Olympic trip, but it is now a month she has been anticipating since finding out it was a possibility.

“I am excited to have that Olympic experience and see what that is like,” Welsh said. “Having the opportunity to work and live there for a whole month and have my family come out and support me, and be with the girls that I have been selected to go with and be in the moment for that is what I am most thrilled about.”

Why AHA Belongs
The active group of players is not the first to play on the international stage. However, these AHA Olympians will look to make their mark and have an impact on the next generation, just as the ones they looked up to did on them.

Representing your country and inspiring people is one lens through which to view the opportunity, but the chance to help make a name for your program is potentially more memorable.

“I have always been looking up to the players who have played in the Olympics from Mercyhurst,” Schalin shared. “It is a huge honor to be the next one from the program, It is the biggest stage on women’s hockey and every little girl’s dream.”

Feb. 6, 2026, is coming in the blink of an eye, and the cauldrons are to be lit soon. The stage is set, and soon we will have Olympic action for the 2026 Milano Cortina Games.

The pride that comes along with representing your country on arguably the biggest international stage in athletics is a golden chance both literally and figuratively.

AHA’s representatives at the 25th Winter Olympic Games, and those who lace up, will attempt to make a name for themselves around the world.

All the training and development these student-athletes have endured have helped them increase the visibility of women’s hockey and make their country proud.