ANALYSIS – For the CANWNT’s October roster, five NSL players made the roster.
This will be a competitive two-fixture series, as Canada is ranked ninth in the world and Denmark is ranked 12th in the FIFA rankings, according to the FIFA website.
The CANWNT October Roster: Three AFC Toronto Players Made the Roster
Expected Players on the Roster
Some players on the roster would not surprise anyone. Janine Sonis (Denver Summit FC full-back and forward), Jessie Fleming (Portland Thorns FC midfielder), and Vanessa Gilles (FC Bayern Munich (women)). The team also includes younger players, such as forward Olivia Smith (Arsenal Women).
Stoney said this to the Canadian Press on what the roster will look like:
“It’s a balance of youth and experience,” Stoney said of the roster. “I think this is a core squad now that’s coming together, that has been together for a while.”
This mix of veterans and young players is also reflected in the NSL players who made the squad, with a blend of veteran and young presence on the roster.
Six NSL Players Made The Roster
CANWNT/CANXNT head coach Casey Stoney talked about Kaylee Hunter’s performance in the U-20 World Cup, as she said this according to Benedict Rhodes for the Waking Red:
“Her performances spoke for themselves, especially the performance against France,” Stoney said to reporters, including Waking The Red, via Zoom on Tuesday. “I asked her what her favourite goal was, and she said the first one. My favourite was the second one, the way she took it on her chest, cut inside and finished it. That took a lot. She still had quite a bit to do.
READ MORE: Kaylee Hunter: Promising Canadian Teenager for AFC Toronto
Hunter scored four goals in the tournament, including three against France in a 3-1 win. The 18-year-old teenager plays for AFC Toronto as a forward. Two players from Ottawa Rapid FC also made the roster. These are Ottawa Rapid FC goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais and forward Delaney Baie (DB) Pridham. These three players have consistently made the CANWNT/CANXNT roster.
What has changed is the players the NSL has brought in since the last window. Three big NSL signings of well-known CANWNT/CANXNT players decided to play in the NSL. Goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo and defender Shelina Zadorsky now play regular minutes with AFC Toronto. Meanwhile, Marie-Yasmine Alidou is playing regular minutes with the Montreal Roses FC. All three are making an impact on their teams.
When looking at D’Angelo’s performance, in her very first game, she made a diving save late in the game to keep the clean sheet against the Montreal Roses FC. This is what Marko Milanović said about both D’Angelo and Zadorsky after the 2-0 win against the Roses at the Stade Boréale:
Both players continue to play exceptionally well, as D’Angelo made some big stops for AFC in the two games at BMO Field on August 30 and on September 6.
This is while Yasmine-Alidou scored three goals and provided one assist for her club in Montreal with nine games played.
READ MORE: Four Different CANWNT Goal Scorers in a 4-1 Win at BMO Field
Players That Did Not Make the Roster
The roster also noticeably omitted a few players. This included San Diego Wave FC forward Adriana Leon and Seattle Reign FC forward Holly Ward. Casey Stoney had something to say about this, according to The Canadian Press:
“There’s genuine competition for places in this squad,” the coach said. “And I’ve picked a squad that is game-ready — match-ready players that are playing consistent minutes, players that are playing for their clubs.”
Leon has historically been one of Canada’s best players. She can score goals for the national team, which it has needed for a long time. She has played 132 games and scored 44 goals, which is good enough to be third all-time on the national team. She however may not have gotten the call as she only has four goals scored for the San Diego Wave FC with 26 games played.
Ward is another good Canadian player. She played for Vancouver Rise FC in the NSL last year and has moved to Seattle Reign FC this year. However, the fact that Ward is a substitution player for Seattle, might be why Stoney did not include Ward in the 24-player roster.
READ MORE: Janine Sonis Scores a Hat-Trick in Dominant Win Over Costa Rica
Players Not on the Roster Because Of Injury/Absences
Besides AFC Toronto forward Kaylee Hunter, another player to watch is forward for Ottawa South United and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Annabelle Chukwu.
Chukwu is a special talent. This is what CANWNT/CANXNT head coach Casey Stoney said about her, according to Benedict Rhodes for the Canadian Soccer Daily:
Chukwu scored three goals and had one assist in the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Her most important goal was the one scored against England, in which Canada earned a 1-1 draw. She, along with Hunter, is a player who could shape the future in Canada for many years to come.
However, Chukwu will not be in these two sets of games because of school (Notre Dame). Additionally, Chicago Stars FC forward Jordyn Huitema and Manchester United FC Women Club right-back Jayde Riviere are not available due to injury. All of this can be sourced from the X (Twitter) account of the senior contributor for CBC, Shireen Ahmed.
READ MORE: 2026 CANWNT SheBelieves Cup Roster: Three NSL Forwards
Games Coming Up in October
Expect a rotation of players for next month’s games against Denmark. This is what Stoney said about it according to The Canadian Press:
“I think, obviously, we will mix things up. It’s two games in a short space of time. We’ve also made that agreement with Denmark as well,” she said. “So people will get a varied amount of playing time. But we want to make sure that we continue to build on the performances that we’ve had in 2026.”
Canada has three wins and three losses against Denmark. However, the last time both teams faced each other, was back in 2017 when Canada won 1-0 in the 2017 Algarve Cup against Denmark. This will be an interesting set of two games between two teams who do not face off against each other often.
The CANWNT has two games coming up in October against Denmark. The first game will be on October 9 at Saputo Stadium (Stade Saputo) in Montreal, Quebec, then they play at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario on October 12.
The October 9 game will be on at 7:00 pm ET (4:00 pm PT) while the October 12 game will be on at 3:30 pm ET (12:30 pm PT).
The games will be televised in Canada on TSN and RDS and it will also be shown live on OneSoccer.
Photo Credit: Lucas Kschischang for AFC Toronto on July 18, 2026, of a Kaylee Hunter headshot at York Lions Stadium.
