Wheelchair Rugby Canada is proud to announce the 20 athletes selected to the 2025–26 National Team Athlete Pool (NTAP). This year, the NTAP selection timeline shifted from the spring to the fall, aligning more closely with organizational systems and funding cycles.

A five-day selection camp was held in mid-October at the Abilities Centre in Whitby, Ontario, where the top wheelchair rugby athletes from across the country took part in assessments, on-court training sessions, and team evaluations. The athletes named to the pool will train and compete with Canada’s high-performance program throughout the 2026 season.

2026 National Team Athlete Pool
Max Arsenault – Victoria, BC

Cody Caldwell – Peterborough, ON

Matt Debly – Windsor, ON

Maxime Drolet-Gauthier – Montreal, QC

Byron Green – Victoria, BC

Jean-François Huneault – Saint-Eustache, QC

Rio Kanda Kovac – Toronto, ON

Reese Ketler – Winnipeg, MB

Melanie Labelle – Montreal, QC

Fabien Lavoie – Quebec City, QC

Anthony Letourneau – Boisbriand, QC

Austin MacLellan – Fredericton, NB

William McCreight – Kelowna, BC

Travis Murao – Toronto, ON

Ben Perkins – North Augusta, ON

Yanick Racicot – Montreal, QC

Jean-Philippe Côté Nadon – Candiac, QC

Eric Rodrigues – Mississauga, ON

Pat Simard – Quebec City, QC

Kurt Timmons – Calgary, AB

“It is an honour to coach this amazing group of athletes. Their drive and commitment to excellence is why they have been selected to wear the maple leaf proudly. This is an exciting time for WRC and I can’t wait to see where this group takes us” said National Team Head Coach, Trevor Hirschfield, who is entering his second season in the role. 

“The athletes showed tremendous dedication at the National Team Selection Camp in October. The depth of talent in this year’s National Team Athlete Pool reflects the strength of our program nationwide” said newly appointed High Performance Director, Emily Mackeigan.  “I’m incredibly proud of this group of athletes, coaches, staff, and IST and I’m excited for the season ahead”.

Ten of the selected athletes recently competed at a development tournament in Prague, where Canada finished first overall in Division Two, proving to be a strong start to the 2025-26 season. Read the tournament recap here. 

Team Canada’s next stop will be at the Musholm Cup in Denmark from February 12–19, an important early event as Canada continues its preparation for the 2026 World Championships in São Paulo, Brazil, this August.

ABOUT WHEELCHAIR RUGBY CANADA

Wheelchair Rugby Canada is the national governing body for the Canadian Heritage Sport of wheelchair rugby. Wheelchair Rugby Canada strives to be a world-leader in wheelchair rugby, a respected advocate for wheelchair athletes and a visionary organization committed to excellence in programs from recruitment to retirement.