Predicting Team Canada’s Roster for 2026 Olympics

After a dozen years, there will once again be NHL players at the Olympic Games in 2026. Team Canada took home gold in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and some players from that team will look to sit atop the hockey world once again.

But who will make Team Canada’s final Olympic roster?

We’re still over a month away from the NHL season and months away from the roster being finalized, but it’s always fun to make some predictions on who will be on the team. Six players have been named for each team, and Team Canada announced its Olympic camp invites earlier this summer.

We also have the 4 Nations Face-Off roster as a guide for who Team Canada’s brass may favor in certain situations. But everything can change for the Olympics.

Let’s take a crack at predicting Team Canada’s roster for the 2026 Olympics.

Goaltenders

Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, and Sam Montembeault were the three goaltenders for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and they were once again the only three netminders invited to Canada’s orientation camp.

Goaltending has become a position of weakness for Canada compared to some of the other top countries at the Olympics, especially Team USA, with the reigning Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy winner in Connor Hellebuyck, as well as Jake Oettinger.

It’d be pretty surprising if Canada switches things up in net for the Olympics. It would likely take either an injury or one of these goalies completely falling off in the first half of the season, along with another netminder stepping up. Some potential names include Darcy Kuemper, Logan Thompson, and MacKenzie Blackwood.

But for now, we’re predicting the three goalies invited to camp to be the trio in Italy.

Team Canada Goaltenders Predictions (3): Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, Sam Montembeault

Defensemen

Let’s first start out with the 13 defensemen invited to the orientation camp, with the players who played at the 4 Nations Face-off bolded.

Evan Bouchard, Noah Dobson, Drew Doughty, Aaron Ekblad, Thomas Harley, Cale Makar, Brandon Montour, Josh Morrissey, Colton Parayko, Travis Sanheim, Shea Theodore, Devon Toews, and MacKenzie Weegar.

It’s interesting that the five defensemen who were not on the 4 Nations Face-Off roster are all right-handed. That’s most likely a great sign for the left-handed defensemen (Harley, Morrissey, Sanheim, Theodore, and Toews).

Sanheim appeared to be a stretch to make the 4 Nations roster, and could be argued against here, but he’s versatile enough with the ability to play on either side while also being able to carry a pair or being the support blueliner. His new head coach, Rick Tocchet, will also have a say as an assistant on Canada’s staff.

Makar is absolutely a lock as well, as long as he’s healthy. Parayko has impressed as well. There’s not too much room for the offense-only Bouchard on the roster without an injury, but Dobson could show an improved game with his new team in Montreal.

The one defenseman who could fall off the roster is Doughty. He turns 36 in November and was only an injury replacement for Alex Pietrangelo at 4 Nations. I’ll give Dobson the edge over him as of now.

Team Canada Defensemen Predictions (8): Noah Dobson, Thomas Harley, Cale Makar, Josh Morrissey, Colton Parayko, Travis Sanheim, Shea Theodore, MacKenzie Weegar

Forwards

This is where it really gets interesting. There were plenty of names left off the 4 Nations Face-Off roster that could’ve deserved a spot, and the debates will only pick up for the Olympics.

Once again, though, here are the forwards invited to orientation camp with the 4 Nations Face-Off roster bolded.

Connor Bedard, Sam Bennett, Quinton Byfield, Macklin Celebrini, Anthony Cirelli, Sidney Crosby, Brandon Hagel, Bo Horvat, Zach Hyman, Seth Jarvis, Wyatt Johnston, Travis Konecny, Nathan MacKinnon, Brad Marchand, Mitch Marner, Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Brayden Point, Sam Reinhart, Mark Scheifele, Mark Stone, Nick Suzuki, John Tavares, Robert Thomas, Carter Verhaeghe, and Tom Wilson.

There are 26 names there with room for only 14 forwards on the roster.

Which 4 Nations participants could lose their spot?

Konecny was a healthy scratch for the important games, only playing in two contests for Canada at 4 Nations. His name jumps to the top of the list of potential cuts.

Jarvis is also on the smaller side at 5-foot-10, and has maxed out at 67 points in each of the past two seasons.

Stone is getting up there in age and hasn’t played more than 66 games in a season since joining Vegas, so he could be on the chopping block as well. However, his defensive prowess may be needed in the bottom six rather than the offensive upside of some of the other names on the camp roster.

So who could replace them?

You have to think that at least one of Bedard or Celebrini will make it, and guys like Johnston and Suzuki are only trending upwards. Then there are the veteran centers in Mark Scheifele and John Tavares, who bring a responsible game.

It really is a tough call, especially in the middle of summer, but that’s what we’re here to do.

Team Canada Forward Predictions (14): Sam Bennett, Anthony Cirelli, Sidney Crosby, Brandon Hagel, Nathan MacKinnon, Brad Marchand, Mitch Marner, Connor McDavid, Brayden Point, Sam Reinhart, Mark Scheifele, Mark Stone, Nick Suzuki, John Tavares