Predicting the Team Canada Roster for 2026 Milan Olympics

This article is part of an ongoing series of Predicting Olympic Rosters as Chris, Roberto, and Chip take note of how each country could line up for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. To view more projected rosters in this series go here.

For the first time since Sochi in 2014, the NHL will be participating in the Winter Olympics. Well, at least they’re supposed to. If you haven’t been keeping up with Olympic news, there’s some concern the arena in Milan that’s still under construction won’t be ready in time, and it’s already been confirmed that the size of the rink wI’ll be smaller than the standards agreed upon by the NHL, NHLPA, IIHF, and Olympic committees. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly has even said there isn’t a zero percent chance that the players won't be going.

But assuming the players go as planned, and as we inch closer to kicking off the 2026 Milan Olympic Games, Chris Feldman, Roberto Solis-Byxbee, and Chip are here with projections on how some of the rosters will shape out for some of the top countries in the tournament.

Next in this series, we're looking at Team Canada. In reality, they are the favorite to take the gold medal at the 2026 Milan Olympics. Though they were challenged in the 4 Nations Face-Off, with USA taking them to overtime in the championship game, Canada's talent pool is immense. You could assemble two or three teams from all the eligible players that would win medals at the Olympics. But that's not how it works. So, general manager Doug Armstrong and his hivemind will have to put together their version of the best, while we at Blueshirt Banter will seize the chance to form our own Canadian power team.

Chris' Projected Roster

Reinhart - McDavid - Marner
Crosby - MacKinnon - Bedard
Hagel - Cirelli - Point
Konecny - Johnston - Jarvis
Marchand - Bennett - Wilson 

Toews - Makar
Harley - Bouchard 
Theodore - Dobson
Schaefer - Morrissey 

Binnington - Hill - Montembault 

Honestly, I won’t be surprised at all if Team Canada's roster at the 2026 Olympics is just a copy, paste, send version of their 4 Nations Face-Off roster. That said, I’m taking a more fun approach in my projection that would, honestly, probably give them their best possible chance to beat the Americans again. 

The first line is a given, as they were the top line at 4 Nations and likely will be for the Olympics, too. There’s a conversation to be had about how much of a chance younger guys like Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, and Matthew Schaefer have at making this team, and Crosby-MacKinnon-Bedard would be one of the most fun lines of all time. The third line is just the Tampa line and then my method for the fourth and extras is to have two fourth line options. The first is a perfect balance of grit and skill with guys like Travis Konecny and Seth Jarvis in between Wyatt Johnston. That other line, however, is straight mayhem. Think back to the fights that started the USA/Canada game at 4 Nations. If Canada wants to take the American’s game and shove it back in their face, what better way to do that than with a fourth line of Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Tom Wilson. I don’t think anybody wants to line up across from a combination of those three. 

Defensively, I’m also going in a more progressive direction. Canada can do much better than they did at 4 Nations by including guys like Evan Bouchard and Noah Dobson. Also, I don’t care about any of the other names on the back end, I’m taking Matthew Schaefer. He is the definition of a gamer, will leave it all on the line and is going to be a top five defenseman in this league in no time, give him the chance now.  

Chip's Projection

Reinhart - McDavid - Marner
Crosby - Mackinnon - Wilson
Celebrini- Johnston - Jarvis
Schieffle - Bennett - Point
Marchand - Suzuki - Geekie

Toews - Makar
Chychrun - Schaefer
Dobson - Morrissey
Doughty - Bouchard

Binnington - Hill - Blackwood

Yeah, I don’t see too many changes coming from the 4 Nations roster that won it all last year. I would have had Bedard in here, but the shot he took from Braden Schenn makes me wonder if he’ll be ready to go. There have been a few rumblings about the team wanting to add a little more physicality to its lineup and that the door might be open for Tom Wilson. I really hope not. The guy is a fucking joke and an embarrassment to the sport of hockey, and while I don’t root for injuries I will consistently root for Tom Wilson to be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic with a massive case of the shits. In August. In a car with no air conditioning and windows stuck in the up position. Sam Bennett—who somehow in last year’s playoffs became the best hockey player Canada has produced since Wayne Gretzkey—also feels like a guy who could squeeze onto the roster.

On defense, I’m not sure how you don’t take Matthew Schaefer at this point. Doing so means someone gets left off and that’s a problem. But it’s not my problem. Ultimately I would rather take Shea Theodore than Drew Doughty, but I think Doughty gets the legacy nod here. 

The goaltending is almost as suspect as that of the Edmonton Oilers, but with this much firepower up front, they should be no worse than a silver medalist when all is said and done.

Roberto's Projected Roster

Reinhart - McDavid - Marner
Crosby - Mackinnon - Bedard
Celebrini- Johnston - Jarvis
Hagel - Scheifele - Geekie
Marchand - Suzuki - Point

Toews - Makar
Chychrun - Morrissey
Theodore - Dobson
Doughty - Schaefer

Binnington - Blackwood - Hill

Chris hits the nail on the head that we should expect Team Canada to run it back and bring an exact clone of their 4 Nations roster to Milan. However, a couple of younger players have played their way into the conversation. And, lastly, where is the fun just simply running it back? That being said, it’d be foolish for them not to at least replicate the top line from the previous best-on-best tournament. Reinhart, McDavid, and Marner are bound to score in bunches. The second forward line is a fun one, full of number one overall picks from different generations, but it may be a bit of a risk with the recent Bedard injury. From there, things got wonky, and that’s where I diverged from my peers. Celebrini deserves a spot, and I think Morgan Geekie’s outstanding play, as my local Boston Bruins friends constantly remind me, merits recognition.

On defense, it’s tough not to put the best defenseman in the world with his regular partner, so Toews-Makar is a given. I elected to have Chychrun and Doughty on the roster. I think the team can benefit from the latter’s veteran experience, even if he doesn’t play every game. On the other side of that, Schaefer is on the roster, too. He can bring energy, and his acclimation to the NHL game has shown he is ready to make a name for himself and take his share of the mantle in pushing the game forward. 

Last but not least, there's the goaltending situation. Canada doesn’t have any elite goalies, but Binnington has shown his mettle when it matters most, and I think he will continue to be called upon due to that. Behind him, I have Blackwood and Hill, who are having excellent seasons, albeit behind excellent teams. But hey, guess what, Team Canada is an excellent team as well.