Toy loon becomes unofficial mascot for Canadian women's Olympic hockey team

A toy loon from a fan has become a mascot, or possibly a good luck charm, for Canada's women's hockey team at Milano Cortina 2026.

The loon was gifted to forward Emma Maltais ahead of Canada's first preliminary game against Switzerland on Feb. 7 from a fan at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena whom she had never met. Canada delivered a 4-0 shutout win during that game.

It's since been nicknamed "Wolf Bird" by the team (complete with its own nametag), a nod to what Russian hockey player Ilya Rozanov calls the iconic Canadian bird on TV show Heated Rivalry when he gets spooked by the loon's haunting call.

The toy also makes its own loon call, which has inspired the players to show off their imitations (reportedly, Erin Ambrose and Ella Shelton have the best calls of the bunch).

Whether the loon is a lucky charm remains to be seen. Although the team booked its spot in the semifinals with a 5-1 win over Germany on Saturday, it faced a crushing 5-0 loss against the U.S. earlier this week.

If it does prove to be "lucky," it wouldn't be the first time Canada's Olympic hockey team has had a good luck loon on its side.

At the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games, that charm was in the form of a loonie secretly buried under the ice at the arena where both Canadian Olympic hockey teams would go on to win gold medals.

That loonie is now on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Perhaps "Wolf Bird" will be given the same reverence if it helps Team Canada win gold at Milano Cortina 2026.

What is the story behind Canada's lucky loonie?