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Greg Wyshynski
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Rachel Kryshak
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Rachel Kryshak
ESPN
- Rachel Kryshak is a professional data consultant specializing in data communication and modelling. She’s worked in the NHL and consulted for professional teams across North American and Europe. She hosts the Staff & Graph Podcast and discusses sports from a data-driven perspective.
USA vs. Canada isn’t only hockey’s greatest rivalry, but one of the most competitive and nastiest in all of sports.
It’s a rivalry that permeates down into the world junior level and bubbles up to the NHL like lava. Please recall the 4 Nations Face-Off last February, where the first meeting between the nations started with three fights in nine seconds and the second meeting ended with a dramatic overtime win for Canada to claim the championship.
The next battle could come at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The Americans and Canadians are in different groups, but as the reigning hockey superpowers in the tournament it’s not too farfetched that the path to gold will run through that rivalry.
Canada has had the better of the Olympics matchups since the NHL started sending its players in 1998, holding a 4-1 series lead. That includes two wins in gold medal games, in 2002 and 2010.
As 4 Nations showed, the gap between these teams has closed. The Americans’ talent pool has deepened with elite skill players and especially goaltending. Selecting the right roster for the 2026 could be the difference between a medal ceremony or elimination.
In the spirit of this storied rivalry, we had a Canadian — ESPN writer Rachel Kryshak — select her ideal Team Canada roster, and get roasted by an American, ESPN senior writer Greg Wyshynski. Then, Wyshynski selected his ideal Team USA roster, which Kryshak sliced apart.
Team Canada
Greg Wyshynski: A few changes I’d make to this roster immediately. Obviously, Sidney Crosby should be kept home, due to his advanced age. I have to imagine that Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and especially Connor McDavid would like to have some additional time to rest before the Stanley Cup playoffs — the real prize in 2026, obviously, given the diminished prestige in winning Olympic gold due to lack of Russian participation.
Rachel Kryshak: You know, I can definitely see where you are coming from. On that note, given the lack of playoff success, I would have to believe that Auston…
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