After winning back-to-back gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, Canada has been trending in the wrong direction – albeit with non-NHL players.
In 2018, Canada won bronze with a collection of European league players, minor leaguers, and college athletes. Later, in 2022, the Canadian Olympic team dropped all the way to sixth.
Other 2026 Olympic Roster Projections:
Projected Roster for Canada
As a reminder, the Winter Olympics will take place in Feb. 2026. There are still two NHL seasons between now and then – and a lot can happen during that time. So with that in mind, here’s a glimpse into the future – a star-studded Canadian team ripe for redemption.
| LW | C | RW |
| Brayden Point | Connor McDavid | Mitch Marner |
| Sidney Crosby | Nathan MacKinnon | Connor Bedard |
| Jared McCann | Steven Stamkos | Carter Verhaeghe |
| Dylan Cozens | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | Mark Stone |
| Zach Hyman | Robert Thomas |
| LD | RD | G |
| Josh Morrissey | Cale Makar | Adin Hill |
| Thomas Chabot | Jakob Chychrun | Tristan Jarry |
| Shea Theodore | Dougie Hamilton | Logan Thompson |
| Darnell Nurse | Evan Bouchard |
Talk about a changing of the guard. Sidney Crosby is the only player on the roster with Olympic experience. He captained the 2014 squad in Sochi and, of course, scored the Golden Goal for Canada at the 2010 Winter Games.
For context, Canada’s last Olympic team with NHL players included the likes of Dan Hamhuis, Shea Weber, Roberto Luongo, Rick Nash, Patrick Sharp, and 10 others who are no longer playing today. That’s a lot of turnover.
That said, Canada’s roster is loaded with talent, with Connor McDavid leading the way. The Edmonton Oilers star will finally have an opportunity to represent his country in the Olympics. With Brayden Point and Mitch Marner flanking him, Canada could have the best first line in the entire tournament.
Canada’s second line should be fun to watch as well. There’s no doubt in my mind that a 38-year-old Crosby will still be an all-world talent. Having him skate on a line with Nathan MacKinnon and then-budding star Connor Bedard would be a nice swan song for the future Hall-of-Famer.
In addition, Canada might have the strongest blue line of any country competing in the 2026 Winter Games. They’ll have no shortage of options to quarterback their power play, too. The elite mobility of Cale Makar, Thomas Chabot, Dougie Hamilton, and others will certainly play an important role in the larger ice surface overseas.
So while Canada possesses an impressive skater group, their goaltending leaves much to be desired – especially when you consider the previous goalies they’ve deployed. Nothing against Adin Hill, Tristan Jarry, and Logan Thompson, but they are not Luongo, Martin Brodeur, Carey Price, or Marc-Andre Fleury. This could be Canada’s Achilles Heel unless someone steps up in a major way before 2026.
Final Word
With NHL players once again allowed to participate in the Olympic Games, Canada will once again be a favorite to medal. Their high-flying offense and incredible defensive depth should be enough to compensate for average goaltending.
Missed the cut: Mark Scheifele, Brad Marchand, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Travis Konecny, Jeff Skinner, Jordan Kyrou, Vince Dunn, Brandon Montour, Devon Toews, Alex Pietrangelo, Morgan Rielly, Owen Power, Darcy Kuemper, Devon Levi, Stuart Skinner.