In the biggest international men’s hockey game in over a decade, Team Canada will square off with Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship tonight. Credit where it’s due, the NHL hit a home run with the 4 Nations tournament, giving us some incredible best-on-best hockey.
With that said nothing the NHL will ever do will capture the magic and importance of the Olympics. NHLers have missed out on the previous two Olympic games but will make their triumphant return in 2026. With that in mind, it’s never too early to take a look at who Team Canada could bring to the tournament.
Who’s in and who’s out on Team Canada?
With an international tournament of sorts being held just a year before the Olympics, there’s a good chance Canada’s roster looks quite similar to the one they brought to the 4 Nations Face-Off. However, I think it’d be in their best interest to make a few changes, regardless of the 4 Nations result.
| Who’s In | Who’s Out |
|---|---|
| F Connor Bedard | F Anthony Cirelli |
| F Macklin Celebrini | F Sam Bennett |
| F Nick Suzuki | F Seth Jarvis |
| D MacKenzie Weegar | D Devon Toews |
| D Noah Dobson | D Colton Parayko |
| D Evan Bouchard | D Travis Sanheim |
| D Thomas Harley | D Drew Doughty |
| G Mackenzie Blackwood | G Jordan Binnington |
Fixing Team Canada’s defence corps
The biggest change compared to the 4 Nations team is unsurprisingly on defence. Hockey Canada made some off-the-board picks for the 4 Nations roster, but if I’m them I’m scrapping that and completely rebuilding the blueline for the Olympics.
Picks like Travis Sanheim and Colton Parayko just haven’t worked, same goes for Devon Toews who has been one of the worst defenders in the entire 4 Nations tournament thus far. There’s no need for low upside or safe picks on the blue line in the modern game. I’ve also upgraded Thomas Harley to a full-time member and removed old man Drew Doughty.
In their place I have a trio of talented defenders who can bring a whole lot more offence and puck-moving ability to the blueline in MacKenzie Weegar, Noah Dobson, and yes even Evan Bouchard. All three of the mentioned players can chip in offensively and move the puck up the ice, something the 4 Nations team has severely lacked.
Weegar in particular is a two-way dynamo who could play a major role at all three strengths. Bouchard meanwhile could serve as a power play specialist given his offensive talent and history with McDavid.
Tweaking Canada’s forwards
At forward, I’ve kept mostly the same roster. The major cuts from the current team I made are all depth players in Sam Bennett, Anthony Cirelli and Seth Jarvis. I’m not denying any team needs some grinders who can muck it up and play hard minutes, but the team already has the likes of Brad Marchand, Brandon Hagel, Travis Konecny, and Mark Stone to play those minutes. There’s absolutely no need for a player like Bennett who has never hit 50 points and isn’t known for elite defence either, especially in an IIHF tournament with no fighting.
In their place, I’ve got plenty of high-octane youth to bring some more speed and skill to Canada’s forward group, as well as a good two-way centre in Nick Suzuki to fill the Cirelli role while also bringing more offence. I’ve also gone against what Hockey Canada typically goes for and picked current rookie and to-be sophomore by the Olympics Macklin Celebrini. Given how well he’s played this season, it’s hard to not to picture him on the team next year even though he’s so young. That is assuming he continues to progress. He’s also a very strong two-way player, meaning he’d fit in just fine in a bottom-six role.
The most notable new name is Connor Bedard. The 19-year-old phenom was thrown around as an option for the 4 Nations team before his slow start to the 2024–25 season. With that said you can’t deny his talent, and I think by this time next year he’ll have shown everyone they’d be foolish to leave him at home again. Give him some real talent to work with and he’ll shine.
In net, the picks are a complete crapshoot given the lack of talent available. The top Canadian goaltender in one year could be completely different the next. For now, I’ve righted a major wrong and added Logan Thompson who has been the best Canadian goalie in the world this year.
The full Team Canada lineup
The forwards
For the top-six forward group, I’ve kept it almost completely unchanged from Canada’s current top-six. Point and McDavid seem like a great fit together, and Crosby and Mackinnon are inseparable. The only difference is Bedard on the top line instead of Stone. Why not combine one of the world’s best shooters with one of the world’s best playmakers? The Bedard and McDavid duo could be unstoppable together.
In the bottom-six I’ve given the lines a major refresh. Gone are the low-upside players in Bennett and Cirelli, and in are Celebrini and Suzuki. Having the 19-year-old Celebrini centre his own line may be a stretch, but he’s got the defensive chops to do it, especially with talent around him in Hagel and Marner.
For the fourth line, I’ve put together a full-on shutdown, hard matchup line that can also score. Suzuki just seems like a perfect fourth-line centre option for this team given his mix of offence and defence. Alongside two responsible two-way veterans in Marchand and Stone, this line could be matched up with any other line in the tournament.
The defence and goaltenders
On the blueline, I’ve created three completely new pairings. At the top of the lineup, I’ve got Canada’s number one defenceman in Cale Makar paired up with the highly underrated Thomas Harley. Harley got a taste of action at the 4 Nations tournament, but he absolutely deserves to play a major role for Canada at the Olympics. He’d be the perfect two-way heavy option to pair with Makar.
On the second pairing, I’ve paired up Shea Theodore with MacKenzie Weegar. Both Theodore and Weegar can hold their own at both ends and are great at carrying the puck up the ice. Together, they’d create the perfect blend of offence, defence, and skill.
Lastly, the third pairing features the offensively gifted Morrissey with the sturdy two-way defender in Noah Dobson. Again, both players are great at moving the puck up the ice and helping in transition, a major factor in building this blueline.
Change is needed
Yes, Canada is in the 4 Nations final, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t massive room for improvement when it comes to crafting the 2026 roster. Canada will always be one of the favourites in any international tournament, but by shifting from their more traditional viewpoint and moving more towards skill, speed and youth they could create an even better team for the 2026 Olympic tournament.
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