We are just over six months away from the NHL making its return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014. The 4 Nations Face-Off was a grand slam of a success and has built an anticipation for best-on-best hockey that we haven’t had in quite a while.
With the unveiling of orientation camp lists in recent days, we feel it’s the perfect time to share the rosters we would select for the key countries set to face off in Milano Cortina in February.
To begin our 2026 Winter Olympic roster projection series (summer edition), we will take a look at the 4 Nations Face-Off winners and 2014 Olympic gold-winning Team Canada. Of note before we start off, these projections could very well change based on player performance during the first half of the 2025-26 regular season. These are strictly based on how things currently stand in August. Alright, let’s get into it!
Forward Line 1:
LW: Hyman – C: McDavid – RW: Point
The first line up front undoubtedly features the world’s best player, Connor McDavid. There’s not much that needs to be said about 97; he should come out flying in his first-ever taste of the Olympic Games.
Despite his brilliance, McDavid is not easy for just anyone to play with, which we saw during the first several games at the 4 Nations. Very few can even remotely keep up with this guy, but one of them is Brayden Point. Head coach Jon Cooper put Point on McDavid’s wing in the final two games of the tournament, and it clicked pretty well. They fed nicely off each other’s speed, so Canada should stick with what worked, at least to start.
To complete the trio, we’ve got Zach Hyman. The only reason Hyman didn’t make the 4 Nations roster was because of his ice-cold start to the season, and even with that we believe he should have been selected. This line needs a guy to battle in the corners and in the crease for loose pucks, and there’s nobody better for the job than Hyman. Chemistry is important in these tournaments, and it’s something he clearly has with McDavid, just like Chris Kunitz had with Sidney Crosby in 2014.
Forward Line 2:
LW: Bennett – C: MacKinnon – RW: Marner
Line number two features the second-best player in the world, Nathan MacKinnon. Quite the one-two punch down the middle for the red and white. Once again, not much to be questioned when it comes to 29.
While the Crosby-MacKinnon connection had its moments at the 4 Nations, they are both better off as centers, so we have them leading their own lines. MacKinnon does it all, but he loves to shoot the puck… Mitch Marner, one of the best passers in hockey, can be his setup man on the right wing.
On his left side we’ll slot in Sam Bennett. He brings a lot of the same elements as Zach Hyman, which are needed on a team full of supreme skill. Bennett also showed some chemistry with Marner in the 4 Nations final, linking up for the game-tying goal. His willingness to play on the edge and go to the dirty areas really rounds out this line.
Forward Line 3:
LW: Celebrini – C: Crosby – RW: Reinhart
Now onto the “third line,” and boy do we love the look of it. The final member of the three-headed monster of generational talents is Captain Canada, Sidney Crosby. Just turned 38 years old and is still his same dominant self, aging like a fine wine.
As we mentioned, Crosby is at his best when playing down the middle, which allows Canada to have more balance with basically three first lines. Crosby found a nice connection with Sam Reinhart during the back half of the 4 Nations, and it made perfect sense. Reinhart has enjoyed the best hockey of his career alongside Aleksander Barkov in Florida, who plays much more like Crosby as opposed to a McDavid or MacKinnon, whom he struggled to find a fit with in large part due to the pace.
Pair up the smarts and skill of Crosby and Reinhart and finish it off with one of the most exciting players in the game in Macklin Celebrini. Yes, he only has 70 games of NHL experience, but man, he already looks like such a pro. Celebrini obviously has the talent, but it’s his drive and strength at such a young age that are so impressive. Not to mention how dynamic of a duo he and Crosby were when playing together at this year’s World Championships.
The kid needs to be on this team, and what better line to start on than this?
Forward Line 4:
LW: Hagel – C: Suzuki – RW: Wilson
The fourth and final forward line produces a trio that will be an absolute handful for opponents to deal with, and it will be centered by Nick Suzuki. The captain of the Montreal Canadiens has improved in every single season of his NHL career, truly emerging as one of the game’s best players. His two-way ability is the perfect fit as the 4C behind Canada’s three superstars.
Flanking Suzuki will be Brandon Hagel and Tom Wilson. Both of these wingers work their tails off and are a pain to play against, which is once again exactly what you’re seeking on a fourth line. But that shouldn’t dismiss the skillset they possess; it’s a combination of skill, grit, and effort. All three of these guys are defensively responsible and great penalty killers, which Canada needs from its depth forwards.
Hagel showed he’s willing to do anything for his country at the 4 Nations, and while fighting isn’t allowed at the Olympics, that won’t stop Wilson from making his presence felt every shift he’s out there. This line won’t be a fun matchup for other countries.
Embed from Getty ImagesExtras:
C: Robert Thomas – RW: Mark Stone
Robert Thomas is one of the most underrated players in hockey and should absolutely be selected to represent Team Canada. He is neck and neck with Nick Suzuki for us to be the fourth-line center, so whichever of the two is playing better at the time of the tournament could have the upper hand.
For the other extra, we’ve chosen Mark Stone. When healthy, Stone remains an excellent two-way forward, and his veteran presence would be a great option to have enter the lineup while understanding his role and situation. He could easily fill in as a reliable bottom-six forward whenever needed.
Honorable Mentions:
C: Mark Scheifele – LW: Brad Marchand
There are always a bunch of players you hate to leave off these lists, but Mark Scheifele and Brad Marchand stood out above all. We’ll begin with Scheifele, who drew plenty of consideration for a spot as the 4C or an extra; however, the two-way game and faceoff ability of Suzuki and Thomas gave them the edge. Canada is never going to be lacking skill, so it’s the other elements that are needed lower in the lineup.
Now onto a fan favorite and glue guy in Marchand. His teammates will undoubtedly want him on the team, but some of the talent and skill sets that other players bring to the table are impossible to pass on. The 37-year-old was amazing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which makes it even harder to have him on the outside looking in. Marchand is a prime example of someone whose first half of the season will greatly impact his shot of making it.
Number 1 defense pairing:
LD: Devon Toews – RD: Cale Makar
Canada’s number one defense pairing just so happens to be the best defense pairing in hockey. We all know that the Colorado Avalanche duo of Cale Makar and Devon Toews will shoulder the load on the backend. They did so at the 4 Nations, and there’s no reason to think that shouldn’t be the case at the Olympics.
The years of chemistry and familiarity are something you rarely find, and they are both, of course, two of the best defensemen in the league. Makar’s all-world skillset of speed, smarts, and creativity is perfectly balanced out by Toews’ defensive prowess and hockey IQ beside him. It is quite the luxury to have these two anchoring the blue line together.
Number 2 defense pairing:
LD: Josh Morrissey – RD: MacKenzie Weegar
Josh Morrissey is the clear-cut next-best Canadian defenseman behind the top pair and will be a key piece of the puzzle. He and Colton Parayko formed a solid combination at the 4 Nations, though we believe someone else would be a better choice to partner with Morrissey in 2026.
Why aren’t many putting MacKenzie Weegar on this team? The guy has arguably been the Calgary Flames MVP since arriving in the Matthew Tkachuk trade and brings everything you want to the table. Not only does he block shots and play physically, but Weegar is pretty damn skilled (20 goals in 2023-24). He is certainly one of Canada’s six best options on defense.
Number 3 defense pairing:
LD: Thomas Harley – RD: Evan Bouchard
With the way he jumped into action last minute at the 4 Nations Face Off, we couldn’t leave Thomas Harley off this roster. His development has been tremendous over the last two years, and he knows exactly how to play in big-pressure games; count us in.
The always controversial Evan Bouchard will round out the right side of our projected defense corps. If there’s something Canada lacked at the 4 Nations, it was offense from the blue line. Aside from Cale Makar, they were full of more defensively focused defensemen. Bouchard is a dynamic offensive threat from the back end and can run the second power play unit.
Extras:
LD: Shea Theodore – RD: Colton Parayko
Two members of the 4 Nations team, Shea Theodore and Colton Parayko, come in as extras on defense. Both Theodore and Parayko not only have experience playing for Canada but are also Stanley Cup champions, knowing what it takes to play on the biggest stage. Theodore provides another offensive option on the blue line, while Parayko is more of a stabilizing defensive option, giving Jon Cooper and co. a nice mix of different skill sets.
Honorable Mentions:
LD: Travis Sanheim – RD: Aaron Ekblad
Not having Travis Sanheim on this roster was a really tough decision to make. He was super impressive at both the 4 Nations Face-Off and World Championships last year, demonstrating his tremendous skating ability while also providing some unexpected offensive pop. The left side on the third pair came down to Sanheim and Thomas Harley, and we ultimately landed on Harley, though it truly could sway the other direction on any given day.
Aaron Ekblad was another difficult omission. He’s been a staple atop the Florida Panthers defense corps for three consecutive runs to the Stanley Cup Final and just plays a winning brand of hockey. He will certainly be in the running to make the Olympic team, but we went with Parayko as an extra due to his experience of playing well at the 4 Nations. Not to mention, GM Doug Armstrong will have some say in going with his guy from St. Louis.
Goalies:
Starter: Jordan Binnington
Backup: Logan Thompson
Third String: Sam Montembeault
Jordan Binnington’s performance at the 4 Nations and down the stretch in 2024-25 for the St. Louis Blues makes him the well-deserved starter for Team Canada. When on his game, Binnington is Canada’s best goaltending option, and it appears he found that form again last season. His big game ability cannot be understated… these saves won’t ever be forgotten by Canadian hockey fans.
Instead of Adin Hill backing him up, we’ve gone with his former teammate Logan Thompson. Thompson has put up fantastic numbers his entire career and was the backbone of Washington’s huge turnaround last season. He’s the second-best Canadian goalie right now; let’s not overthink this.
Coming to a conclusion on a third netminder was not as easy as the first two. Sam Montembeault and MacKenzie Blackwood have higher upside, while veterans like Adin Hill and Darcy Kuemper could be dependable options if called upon. We wound up going with Montembeault given the experience he gained from being a part of the 4 Nations team and the continued improvements we expect him to show in 2025-26.
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