Hockey Canada announced on June 16 the first six players who will represent the Great North at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. This upcoming Olympics will be the first time that the NHL has allowed its players to compete in the Winter Games since the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
The first six for Canada are Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Connor McDavid, Brayden Point, and Sam Reinhart.
Beyond those first six, who can we expect to fill out the starting lineup for Team Canada? Here’s a projected lineup of current NHLers who could be in there for Canada.
Center – Connor McDavid, Oilers
McDavid is a no-brainer for the center spot on this Team Canada roster, especially after his performance in the Four Nations Tournament earlier in 2025.
He tied Sidney Crosby for the most points on Team Canada in the tournament, with five, comprised of three goals and two assists. McDavid scored a ‘Golden Goal’ for Canada in overtime of the tournament finals.
This past regular season, McDavid scored 100 points for the eighth time in his career, with 26 goals and 74 assists. He made it back to the Stanley Cup Finals but lost to the Florida Panthers for the second straight year.
This will be McDavid’s first Olympics, having only competed for Team Canada in the World Juniors tournament and the World Cup.
He was named to the Olympic team for the 2022 Winter Olympics but didn’t play after the NHL decided not to send any of its players due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Left Wing – Sidney Crosby, Penguins
Crosby, one of the greatest, if not the greatest, players in the history of Team Canada, is likely to serve as captain once again at the 2026 Olympics.
In the Four Nations tournament, Crosby slotted into Canada’s second line and played left wing. While the Canadians have other left-shot forwards to play on the first line, it seems like it would be a classy move to start the 37-year-old in his third Olympics.
In an iconic moment for Canadian sports, Crosby scored the game-winning goal against Team USA in overtime of the Gold Medal game at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. Crosby served as captain for Canada in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, winning the gold medal both times.
He’s also one of 30 players in the Triple Gold Club, a player who has won an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup. He’s the only player on the list to have served as captain for each trophy.
Crosby had 91 points this past regular season, with 33 goals and 58 assists.
Right Wing – Brayden Point, Lightning
Point will be playing in his first Olympics for Team Canada in 2026, having previously represented Canada in the World Juniors and the World Cup.
He was the first-line right-winger for Team Canada in the Four Nations. He scored one goal and had one assist in the tournament and was a +2 on the ice.
In the regular season this year, Point scored 42 goals and 42 assists and was a +17 on the ice.
Left Defenseman – Cale Makar, Avalanche
Makar is one of the best young players in the NHL and represents a significant part of Team Canada’s future.
The reigning Norris Memorial Trophy winner will also be competing in the Olympics for the first time in his career. He had the opportunity to play in the 2018 games while at UMass, but decided to focus on his college career instead.
He previously won gold for Canada at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship tournament. He also played on Canada’s Four Nations team, contributing one assist during the tournament, and was a +1 on the ice.
In 80 games played during the regular season, he recorded 92 points, including 30 goals and 62 assists, and finished with a +28 rating.
Right Defenseman – Devon Toews, Avalanche
Towes earns the spot as Canada’s starting right defenseman mainly due to his closeness with Makar, with whom he shares a pairing on Colorado.
He started as the top-pairing alongside Makar in the Four Nations tournament and was a -1 on the ice.
The 31-year-old has been in the NHL for seven seasons, starting with the New York Islanders in 2018. He was traded to the Avalanche in 2020 and won the Stanley Cup two years later.
In 76 games played this regular season, he had 44 points and had a +30 on the ice.
Goalie – Jordan Binnington, Blues
After becoming a surprise hero in the Four Nations tournament, Binnington will likely be the starting goaltender for Team Canada in the 2026 Olympics.
In four games played during the tournament, Binnington had a 2.37 GAA and a .907 save percentage. He had an electric performance in overtime of the tournament finals game, stopping multiple solid attempts from Team USA.
Although they have some young up-and-comers, Canada’s crop of goaltenders is far weaker than America’s. But despite that, Binnington has become a solid go-to netminder for Canada for recent tournaments, including the IIHF World Championships in 2024 and 2025.
In 2024, he had a 2.81 GAA and a .885 save percentage through eight games, and in 2025, he had a 1.25 GAA and a .944 save percentage through four.
His NHL career is best remembered for leading the St Louis Blues to an upset victory over the Boston Bruins in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.
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