CALGARY — Hockey Canada announced on May 26, 2026, that general manager Gina Kingsbury will not return after eight years overseeing the national women’s team. Kingsbury, who also serves as general manager of the PWHL’s Toronto Sceptres, oversaw Canadian women’s hockey through a period of profound structural change in the sport.

“I’m good with the transition. I’m ready for it,” Kingsbury said. “It’s time for someone to look at the landscape that has shifted in women’s hockey and set out their own vision on what that could look like for the future.”

Hockey Canada chief executive Katherine Henderson acknowledged the evolving environment, noting that “we’ve done quite a bit of analysis, but the sands continue to shift underneath our feet.” She pointed to the growth of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, which expanded by four teams for the 2026–27 season to reach 12 total franchises, as a key factor in rethinking national team operations. “We now need to live in a world probably closer to how we put together our men’s senior teams,” she said.

Kingsbury and head coach Troy Ryan were the first individuals to simultaneously hold top leadership roles with both a PWHL team and the Canadian women’s national team. Their contracts were scheduled to expire in June 2026. The 2026 Olympics marked the first held during the PWHL era, and Canada’s women’s team did not undergo the traditional five- to six-month centralized training camp used in prior Olympic cycles. Meanwhile, the International Ice Hockey Federation moved the women’s world championship from April to November starting in 2026 to avoid scheduling conflicts with the PWHL season.