Following Hockey Canada's unveiling of its 25-player roster for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics—a blend of veterans like Sidney Crosby and young stars like Macklin Celebrini—the NHL saw celebrations and heartbreak. Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand rejoiced at his selection, while teammate Sam Bennett's omission drew widespread disappointment.
The roster announcement, which includes 16 Stanley Cup winners and 19 players from Canada's 2025 4 Nations Face-Off champions, sparked varied emotions league-wide.
Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand, 37, who leads his team with 45 points (23G, 22A) in 38 games, called the honor 'the highest you can have in the game' ahead of the Winter Classic against the New York Rangers. A childhood dream realized after missing the 2014 Sochi Games, Marchand joins the roster as one of its seasoned forwards.
Contrastingly, the Panthers lamented the exclusion of gritty forward Sam Bennett, the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy winner and key contributor to Canada's 4 Nations victory. With 29 points (13G, 16A) in 39 games this season, Bennett has been lauded by coach Paul Maurice as playing 'the best hockey of his career' over the last 27 games. Teammate Sam Reinhart, selected in June, sympathized: 'It’s tough; there isn’t much you can say. He’s someone that has put so much into it.' Bennett's two Stanley Cups further underscored the tough snub.
In Washington, Capitals forward Tom Wilson (40 points, 21G, 19A, leading in hits) and goalie Logan Thompson (15-10-3, 2.33 GAA, .915 SV% in 28 games) celebrated their first Olympic nods. Both are among six new additions outside the 4 Nations group, including Celebrini, Bo Horvat, Nick Suzuki, and Darcy Kuemper.
Canada, first to announce its roster, prepares for the men's tournament February 11-22—the NHL's Olympic return since 2014—with more nations like the U.S. to follow.