Getting to the level of collegiate athletics is a feat very few people have achieved. Getting to the professional level is even rarer. But representing your country on the biggest stage of them all at the Olympic Games? That’s the highest level and honor that any athlete can reach. For Quinnipiac, the latest current athlete to achieve the historic milestone is women’s ice hockey freshman forward Jade Barbirati, representing Team France in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
“It feels unreal,” she said. “(It) was crazy to me … the people around the rink, everything was like ‘wow.’”
Barbirati’s love of hockey started at five years old in Aix Les Bains, France, joining her older sister in ice skating lessons. Those lessons saw a coach put a stick in the hands of Barbirati for the very first time. From there, her passion for hockey was born.
“He was truly the first person to show me the love of hockey,” she said.
15 years after that first lesson, Barbirati finally began to see the fruits of her labor, crossing the pond and committing to John Abbot College in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, a school prestigious for development in Canadian hockey.
From the second she stepped on the ice, her presence was felt.
In her first year, Barbirati appeared in 29 games, recording 15 goals and 39 total points, finishing second on the team and third in the league in both. She would also help lead the Islanders to their second straight Quebec Junior Hockey League Championship.
She would follow up her impressive debut season with a near-historic campaign.
Appearing in all 30 contests for John Abbott, Barbirati tallied 57 points and 25 goals, which ranked second and fourth in the league, respectively, only trailing her teammate. Her run would come to an end in the postseason, as they fell in the championship.
Head coach Noemie Marin gave high praise to Barbirati during this streak.
“The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Jade is that she is extremely competitive,” Marin said in an interview with Web Vision. “In practice, she always wants to win.”
Her final season at John Abbot was derailed by injury, she appeared in only 10 games and recording six goals and eight assists as the team was eliminated early in the playoffs.
During her years as an Islander, she would get called back to France to represent her country in the Women’s World Championships, helping the nation take home gold in 2021 and bronze in 2023. Barbirati credits the time at John Abbot and the time representing her home nation as a period of growth.
“At first I was super hard on myself, but I’m much better now,” she said. “I’ve grown up a lot.”
After finishing her final year in Quebec, it came time for Barbirati to make the next step in her career. Ultimately, she decided to travel across the border and spend the next four years in Hamden.
Barbirati’s decision to make the move to the NCAA was one she considered a no-brainer.
“(The NCAA) is the best level of women’s hockey so when I got the opportunity to come I had to say yes,” she said. “(Quinnipiac) is a really good program with a really good coaching staff.”
Barbirati’s relationship with head coach Cass Turner also furthered her confidence in her decision to call Quinnipiac home.
“She really listens to us and is there to help us improve,” Barbirati said. “I think I made a great decision coming here because I know that with her, I will make a lot of progress in my game and as a person in general.”
It didn’t take long for Barbirati to introduce herself in Bobcat gold. In her second collegiate game against the Maine Black Bears, she recorded two goals, including the game-winner in overtime. It was the kind of performance that put her on the map of ECAC hockey and proved to Bobcat nation that she was here to stay.
“It’s clear that she’s very competitive,” Turner said. “It’s such a great thing to have on our team.”
Despite battling injuries for the majority of the year, Barbirati would put up solid numbers. In 13 games played, she would tally nine points on four goals and five assists. In the face of a down year by her own standards, her rookie year will be one she’ll never forget. Towards the end of the 2025 calendar year, Barbirati got the call athletes everywhere dream of getting: being asked to represent France in their first-ever Olympic bid in the 2026 Winter Games in Milan.
“I was really happy to know that, especially doing it with my best friends,” she said.
While in Milan, Barbirati appeared in all four games, totaling seven shots and 65 minutes of ice time. As a team, France struggled, suffering defeats in all four games. Despite the performance, Barbirati still had the time of her life and now has her sights set on the 2030 games in France.
“Even though we didn’t win a game, we always managed to find the strength to come back the next day to play and give it our best,” she said. “I think that’s a beautiful strength we showed.”
Although Barbirati returned from Milan without hardware, she came back with something much more valuable than any medal ever could. Her path from a five‑year‑old in France to a junior college standout in Quebec, to a Bobcat and now an Olympian was never a straight climb, but decision after decision led her to becoming the athlete she is today.
Barbirati’s arrival to Hamden brings a wealth of experience in two different countries to a roster with 15 players on or under the age of 20. The best part? She’s just getting started.
