Projecting Canada’s Roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics

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 and a half 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.

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.

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