Para nordic star Wilkie, hockey captain McGregor named Canada’s flag-bearers for Paralympics opening ceremony | CBC Sports
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Hockey captain Tyler McGregor and Para nordic skier Natalie Wilkie will be Canada’s Paralympic flag-bearers for the Milano-Cortina opening ceremony on March 6, the Canadian Paralympic Committee announced Friday morning.
McGregor, 31, will make his fourth Games appearance looking to add to silver medals in 2018 and 2022, and 2014 bronze.
The 25-year-old Wilkie from Salmon Arm, B.C., is a triple Paralympic champion with seven medals heading to her third Winter Games.
Coverage of the opening ceremony will be available on CBC, CBC Gem and cbcsports.ca, beginning with pre-show coverage at 1:30 p.m. ET.
“I almost leapt out of my chair,” Wilkie told Anastasia Bucsis of CBC Sports about being told she was co-flag-bearer. “I wasn’t thinking of the role of flag-bearer heading into the Games, but it’s obviously been a dream of mine. It’s cool to get that honour, and to do it with Tyler as well.”
The Para nordic skier and Para hockey player are set to be Team Canada’s flag-bearers for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games.
McGregor and Wilkie will not lead a parade of Canadian athletes at Verona Arena for the opening ceremony but will be filmed at separate Paralympic villages as they will open competition the following day in Italy.
No Canadian athletes will attend the opening ceremony, as the arena is located at least two hours away from where athletes are staying (Milano, Val di Fiemme, or Cortina). Like the flag-bearers, most are scheduled to compete the following day.
“What a tremendous honour,” said McGregor. “I’m so excited to share it with Natalie and represent Canada at the Paralympic Games. For both of us, and all athletes, we’re so proud to be Canadian and can’t wait to [compete].”
In May 2025, McGregor captained Canada’s silver-winning squad at the World Para Hockey Championship in Buffalo, N.Y. A year earlier, the native of Forest, Ont., helped the Canadians to their first World Para Ice Hockey Championship title in seven years, defeating the United States 2–1 in the final.
Resilient, McGregor said, is the identity of the 50-athlete Canadian Paralympic team.
“We’re people who, time and time again, show an enormous amount of courage,” he said. “It’s also a team and a country that’s united. Natalie and I are so excited to put that on display for everyone back home but also the rest of the world.
“There’s so much excitement coming out of the Olympic Games into the Paralympics. We think we have such a tremendous opportunity to display the world-class athletes that are competing, but also who we are away from the field of play. So many amazing people.”
Off the ice, McGregor serves on the Canadian Paralympic Athletes’ Council, co-chairs the Own the Podium athlete advisory committee, sits on the Make-A-Wish Canada board, and has spent 14 years as a keynote speaker.
Wilkie will lead Canada’s 15-athlete Para nordic ski team into the Paralympics along with Mark Arendz.
“Success to me is not just the medals,” Wilkie said. “I think my [Para nordic] team has a big focus on processed-based goals instead of results-based goals. My coach, Brian McKeever, is a big believer in this. His beliefs around this have shaped the team culture.”
Wilkie was the youngest athlete from the Canadian contingent at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, but will arrive in Italy a veteran athlete with two silver and two bronze medals to go with her three titles.
Her mom is expected to attend the Paralympics along with her two sisters.