Golden Knights forward, Stars defenseman among those expected to represent nation in Milano Cortina
The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 begin 100 days from today, with Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 6.
The men’s ice hockey tournament will start with preliminary games Feb. 11, with the gold-medal game scheduled for Feb. 22.
This is the first time NHL players will participate in the Winter Olympics since Sochi in 2014.
In the Olympics, each team carries 25 players — traditionally 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goalies.
NHL.com is predicting the Olympic rosters, which will be officially named around Jan. 1.
Today, staff writers Derek Van Diest and Mike Zeisberger reveal their combined picks for Team Canada.
Sam Bennett Florida Panthers
Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins*
Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche*
Brad Marchand, Florida Panthers
Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers*
Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning*
Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers*
Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets
Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights
Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens
Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals
There will be an abundance of offensive talent up front for Canada, led by McDavid and MacKinnon, two of the fastest and most dynamic players in the world. Scoring should not be an issue with Crosby, Reinhart, Marner and Scheifele also in the mix. The forward roster is similar to the one that won the 4 Nations Face-Off for Canada, with a few exceptions. Based on their starts to the 2025-26 season, Scheifele, Suzuki and Wilson have played their way on the roster. If they can maintain their production through the first half, it will be difficult not to add them. Wilson also brings a physical element, which would have been welcomed in two epic battles against the United States at 4 Nations. Marchand, at 37, demonstrated he is still capable of playing at the highest level, helping the Panthers to their second straight Stanley Cup championship last season and maintaining that standard at the start of this season. The one notable exception on the list is Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis, which indicates how talented Canada’s forward group will be and how tough it is to secure a spot on the team. — Van Diest
CGY@VGK: Marner scores his second goal of the game
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
Thomas Harley, Dallas Stars
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche*
Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues
Travis Sanheim, Philadelphia Flyers
Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights
Devon Toews, Colorado Avalanche
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That’s a very telling and accurate credo when it comes to Canada’s defense, even if the phrase is not completely grammatically correct. As such, when you look at this list, notice that every one of these defensemen played for the championship team at 4 Nations. The Makar-Toews and Morrissey-Parayko pairings arguably were Canada’s best, while Doughty brings leadership and experience to the ice and the dressing room, a valuable element especially after Alex Pietrangelo of the Vegas Golden Knights was ruled out with a hip injury. Theodore started 4 Nations as Doughty’s partner but sustained an upper-body injury in a tournament-opening 4-3 overtime win against Sweden. Harley and Sanheim stepped in for Theodore and Morrissey missed two games because of illness. The most debatable omission here could be Evan Bouchard of the Oilers and his signature Bouch Bomb slap shot from the point. Truth be told, he had a rough start to the season, when defensive deficiencies were magnified. — Zeisberger
DAL@COL: Harley unloads on one from distance and finds the back of the net
Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
Adin Hill, Vegas Golden Knights
Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals
Canada put its trust in Binnington at 4 Nations, and it paid off with an outstanding performance in the final against the United States. Binnington, Hill and Sam Montembeault (Montreal Canadiens) were the three goalies invited to Hockey Canada’s 2025 National Teams Orientation Camp in Calgary from Aug. 26-28, but Thompson’s play early on could earn him a spot on the roster. If Thompson can maintain that level through the first half of the season, it would be difficult to justify him not being one of Canada’s three goalies, particularly considering Montembeault is off to a slow start in Montreal. — Van Diest
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