AFC Toronto's Kaylee Hunter recalled by Canada
The 18-year-old forward has been included in Casey Stoney's 24-player squad for next month's SheBelieves Cup.
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Kaylee Hunter is back for the Canadian women’s team. Maybe this time she will play.
Canadian women's team coach Casey Stoney on Wednesday released her 24-player roster for next month’s SheBelieves Cup, a four-nations tournament featuring the host United States, Colombia and Argentina.
Included in Stoney’s squad is Hunter, an 18-year-old forward who took the Northern Super League by storm during its inaugural campaign in 2025. Hunter did so well that she was named to Stoney’s squad for last October's FIFA international window, but a knock she picked up prior to coming into the Canadian camp prevented her from seeing action in friendlies vs. Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Stoney told reporters during Wednesday's media call that she expects Hunter to make her senior team debut at the SheBelieves Cup.
"I think Kaylee's potential is extremely high. It's not just a technical ability. I think it's her mentality. She's got bite, she's got desire, she's got hunger. .... She's not scared of the physicality of the game. She scores goals and that is so rare in the game. So, I think she can bring a lot," Stoney stated.
"We do need to be mindful that she's a young player and not to put too much on her shoulders. This is about an introduction. This is about her coming in, feeling the environment again, making sure we get some playing time so that she can feel that real life game in terms of senior football at the highest level. So, there'll be no pressure for me and no expectation for me.
"It's about learning about what she can do in the senior environment, how we can support her in the senior environment, and getting the very best out of her. And that might take time, and we need to be patient, but I think her potential is very high."
John Molinaro
Hunter, a native of Calgary, was second in NSL scoring in 2025 with a team-high 16 goals during the regular season and playoffs. Hunter also had four assists as she played a big role in helping Toronto win last year’s Supporters' Shield as the NSL regular season champions while also boasting the best attack in the league with 40 goals.
The young AFC Toronto star previously represented Canada at both the under-17 and under-20 levels, making her international debut in 2023 at age 15 and scored four goals in her first match.
Hunter officially joined AFC Toronto last January just seven days after her 17th birthday to become one of the youngest players to sign a pro contract ahead of the NSL's debut season. She previously played for Whitecaps FC Girls Elite in League1 British Columbia, winning a pair of league titles and being named the MVP at the 2024 Women's Inter-Provincial Championship. She also helped the team qualify for the 2024 Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup.
Canada is 10th in the current FIFA world rankings, eight spots below the U.S., and above both Colombia (No. 20) and Argentina (No. 30).
Stoney’s side opens the SheBelieves Cup against Colombia on March 1 at GEODIS Park in Nashville. Canada then faces the United States on March 4 at ScottsMiracleGro Field in Columbus, Ohio. It closes the tournament against Argentina on March 7 at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey.
Everybody plays each other once and the nation with the most points at the end of the round robin is declared the champion.
Other NSL players who made the cut on this Canadian squad are goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais (Ottawa Rapid FC) and forwards Holly Ward (Vancouver Rise FC) and Delaney Baie Pridham (Ottawa Rapid FC). Pridham was the MVP and Golden Boot winner in the NSL last season. She's yet to earn a cap for Canada.
"I think my expectations [of Pridham] are the same for everybody; to come in and compete for positions and places. I'm also very aware that our NSL players are at the very beginning of their pre-season. They literally only started last Monday, so we need to make sure we manage that in terms of playing time," Stoney said.
Forward Cloé Lacasse (Utah Royals) has earned a recall after a lengthy injury absence; she ruptured her ACL and suffered a sprained MCL with her club in October 2024. Lacasse has six goals in 39 caps for Canada, with her previous appearance coming on Aug. 3, 2024.
"It's been a difficult time when you have such a major injury, and coming back and then feeling ready to come back in is a big step. So, we're pleased to have her back in the team. I know she's a super competitor," Stoney said.
The lone newcomer to the team is defender Brooklyn Courtnall (Bay FC) who receives her first senior team call-up after previously representing Canada at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica. Courtnall, a 23-year-old born in LA, qualifies to play for Canada through her father, former NHLer Russ Courtnall. Her mother is American actress Paris Vaughan.
"She is playing in a competitive league [NWSL], and I think she performed very well last year being thrown into difficult circumstances. So, it's great to have her in camp," Stoney offered.
The most recognizable names on Canada’s latest roster are captain Jessie Fleming (Portland Thorns), goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan (North Carolina Courage), defender Vanessa Gilles (Bayern Munich), and Jordyn Huitema (Seattle Reign).
The most notable omissions are fullback Ashley Lawrence (Olympique Lyonnais), who has 151 caps for Canada, and San Diego Wave forward Adriana Leon (132 caps).
"It's a decision made to incorporate some younger players, to give other people a chance in the squad. They're still very much a part of the future for this camp. I wanted to have a look at some different things,” Stoney said.
She later added: “I fully respect everything they've done and will continue to do. It's not an easy decision to make. It's not an easy phone call to make; both were very disappointed to miss out, but understood the reasons and the rationale, and now it's about reacting, going away, getting to work and then making themselves available for the next window."
Defender Kadeisha Buchanan (Chelsea FC) remains sidelined by an injury; she's been out since November 2024 after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament. Buchanan is one of Canada's most experienced players with 156 caps.
Also unavailable for this camp due to injury are goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo (Aston Villa), goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx (Ipswich Town), fullback Jayde Riviere (Manchester United) and defender Shelina Zadorsky (West Ham United).
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Canada has been idle since the previous FIFA international window in late November/early December when it suffered a pair of shutout losses to Japan in Nagasaki. Overall, the Canadians have lost five in a row – their last win was a 4-1 decision over Costa Rica on June 27, 2025, at Toronto’s BMO Field. Stoney’s SheBelieves Cup roster features seven players who weren’t with the team in Japan.
Canada has recorded seven wins in eight games against Argentina since first facing each other in 2003. The previous encounter ended in a 1-0 win for the South Americans on April 8, 2025, in Langford, B.C.
The Canadians have won all three of their previous contests against Colombia, including a 1-0 victory in the group stage of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Canada is 4-54-9 all-time against the U.S. dating back to 1986. The Canadians haven’t won on American soil since Nov. 11, 2000. Canada's last victory over the U.S. was a 1-0 decision in the Tokyo Olympics semifinal in August 2021. The U.S. earned a 3-0 win over Canada in Washington, D.C. on July 2, 2025, in their last meeting.
First held in 2016, the SheBelieves Cup has been dominated by the U.S., who have won the annual tournament seven times. Japan won last year’s competition.
Canada finished third in 2021 when it made its SheBelieves Cup debut. It followed that up with a fourth-place finish in 2023 and was a runner-up the following year.
Stoney hinted that the women's team will likely play a home game in October, which would be the first on Canadian soil since last summer's win against Costa Rica.
CANADA'S SQUAD
- Goalkeepers: Emily Burns (FC Nantes), Melissa Dagenais (Ottawa Rapid FC) and Kailen Sheridan (North Carolina Courage).
- Defenders: Gabrielle Carle (Washington Spirit), Sydney Collins (Bay FC), Brooklyn Courtnall (Bay FC), Vanessa Gilles (FC Bayern Munich), Marie Levasseur (Montpellier HSC), Jade Rose (Manchester City WFC) and Janine Sonis (Denver Summit FC).
- Midfielders: Marie-Yasmine Alidou (Portland Thorns), Jessie Fleming (Portland Thorns), Simi Awujo (Manchester United), Julia Grosso (Chicago Red Stars), Kaylee Hunter (AFC Toronto) and Emma Regan (Denver Summit FC).
- Forwards: Annabelle Chukwu (University of Notre Dame), Jordyn Huitema (Seattle Reign FC), Cloé Lacasse (Utah Royals FC), Delaney Baie Pridham (Ottawa Rapid FC), Nichelle Prince (Boston Legacy FC), Evelyne Viens (AS Roma), Holly Ward (Vancouver Rise FC) and Olivia Smith (Arsenal W.F.C.)
(Top courtesy of AFC Toronto)
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