Road to Gold: Canada's medal-contending roster for the Winter Olympics revealed

Canada has proudly competed in men's hockey at every Winter Olympics since 1924, and the pressure to extend that legacy of excellence is immense. With the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics now just weeks away, Team Canada's focus shifts entirely to the final roster: the 25 men chosen to deliver the nation's next gold medal.

The offical roster for Team Canada are as follows: * indicates the first six introduced.

Some names fans expected to be included were young stars Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks and Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders. Canada's General Manager for Men's Ice Hockey, Doug Armstrong, cleared that Bedard's injury did not impact his standing on making the official roster. Armstrong also explained why Islander's rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer did not make the cut:

"Honestly, he wasn't on my radar. I don't want to spend a lot of time talking about players who didn't make the team, because to me, this is a special occasion, as he's an 18-year-old man that we're talking about playing for the Olympics."

Doug Armstrong, Team Canada's GM.

On the brighter side, Armstrong spoke highly of Schaefer as a fantastic talent who consistently excites fans, noting that his maturity both on and off the ice exceeds his age. He expressed surprise at how quickly the player became a central part of their discussions for the roster, crediting both the athlete and the New York Islanders organization while suggesting that the sport of hockey is fortunate to have such a promising young talent emerging.

The official roster not only includes a young superstar who continues to shine on ice, but also many of the best players to ever compete in the National Hockey League:

Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, named as one of the league's best 100 players, brings international success, having captained Canada to four straight tournament victories, alongside his three Stanley Cups and six major NHL awards, along with his iconic 'Golden Goal' at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Crosby's current statistics for the 2025-26 season are: 40 points, including 21 goals and 19 assists, in 38 games.

Joining him are: Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, who recently won the Hart and Ted Lindsay Trophies and was named MVP of the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, the most productive player of the last decade with numerous scoring titles and a 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy.

MacKinnon's current stats are 66 points with 32 goals, 34 assists in 38 games, sitting on top of the league in goals. McDavid carries 69 points with 24 goals, 45 assists in 40 games, leading the league in points and assists.

Rounding out the forward group are two clutch goal-scorers: Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers, who is coming off a career-best 57-goal season and a 2x Stanley Cup win with the Panthers, and Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning, a two-time Stanley Cup champion who led the playoffs in goals twice.

Reinhart enters the new year with 43 points, 22 goals and 21 assists in 39 games. Point with 21 points and 6 goals, 15 assists in 31 games.

Anchoring the defense is Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, a two-time Norris Trophy winner and former Conn Smythe recipient who leads all defensemen in goals and points since entering the league.

Makar carries 44 points with 12 goals, 32 assists in 38 games, leading the defensemen in points and assists.

2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini's early NHL success has put him in the company of all-time greats. He became the fourth teenager in NHL history with multiple five-point games (joining Gretzky, Dale Hawerchuk, and Bryan Trottier) and is one of only four teenagers to reach 30 points in 20 games or fewer (joining Gretzky, Crosby, and Mario Lemieux).

Celebrini enters the new year with 60 points with 21 goals, 39 assists in 39 games. Celebrini currently stands at 3rd place in the league for points, behind McDavid and MacKinnon.

Captain of the Montrèal Canadiens, Nick Suzuki, has already proved his spot on the ice upon entering the league. His career launched on October 3, 2019, with his first point—a power-play assist—following shortly after on October 9, and his first goal tallied on October 17, and has achieved his 300th career point with an assist on Cole Caufield’s goal on November 11, 2024 (in his 389th game), marking one of the fastest rates to 300 points for a Montreal player in the last 35 years.

As of Wednesday, Suzuki holds 44 points with 13 goals, 31 assists and 39 games.

Binnington, who rose from the AHL to a Calder Memorial Trophy finalist and a Stanley Cup champion, became the first NHL rookie goaltender in history to record all 16 wins for a team en route to the championship. He is also the Blues' all-time franchise leader in wins. The St. Louis Blues goalie currently carries a SV% of .870 for this season, and has won 7 times.

Collectively, these top players possesses multiple Olympic golds, numerous Stanley Cups, essential recent tournament success from the 4 Nations Face-Off, and current statistics for the 2025-26 season, making them the core of Canada's quest for gold.

The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics for ice hockey are set to be held in the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, Milan, Italy. Schedule for the Preliminary Round for Canada are as follows:

The ice is set and the stakes couldn't be higher. For Team Canada, anything less than the top step of the podium would be unacceptable; they’re coming for the gold, and they don't plan on leaving without it.