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Christopher Boan is a reporter and writer with BetCanada.com. He's covered the gambling industry for nearly a decade, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News.
Team Canada Hockey’s Roster Changes For 2026 Winter Olympics
Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid sent the American-heavy crowd in Boston home disappointed when his overtime goal on Thursday gave Canada a 3-2 win over Team USA in the final of the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off. In the wake of that event, it’s worth wondering which current NHL stars might make the Canadian team in a year for a major event among fans and Canada sports betting sites.
That’s when the 2026 Winter Olympics take place in Italy, with games between Feb. 5 and 22 in Milan. The Canadian men’s team looks to capture its first gold medal in the Games since 2014. Our list of best sports betting promos in Canada will give you a leg up well before the Olympics.
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Chance of Making Team Canada For 2026 Olympics (Without Appearance At 4 Nations)
Pos., Player | Current NHL Team | Odds | Percent Chance |
F Mark Scheifele | Winnipeg Jets | -500 | 83.3% |
F Connor Bedard | Chicago Blackhawks | -350 | 77.8% |
G Logan Thompson | Vegas Golden Knights | -250 | 71.4% |
D MacKenzie Weegar | Calgary Flames | -165 | 62.2% |
D Noah Dobson | New York Islanders | -140 | 58.3% |
D Evan Bouchard | Edmonton Oilers | -125 | 55.5% |
F Macklin Celebrini | San Jose Sharks | +200 | 33.3% |
F Robert Thomas | St. Louis Blues | +300 | 25.0% |
F Wyatt Johnston | Dallas Stars | +300 | 25.0% |
F Nick Suzuki | Montreal Canadiens | +300 | 25.0% |
F Tom Wilson | Washington Capitals | +700 | 12.5% |
BetCanada.com will continue our hockey coverage and review Canada sports betting apps that you can use today, with dozens of legal, regulated operators to ponder.
Since their most recent Olympic gold medal, Canada has placed third (2018) and sixth (2022) in the quadrennial event. But there’s high hope that 2026 could be the year that the Great White North returns to the gold medal stand, which got us at BetCanada.com thinking about which countrymen could suit up for the team in 12 months.
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Who Might Join Team Canada in 2026?
Remember, this list only includes players who did not participate in the 4 Nations event. So obvious names for the Canadian Olympic roster, such as McDavid, D Cale Makar and many others, won’t appear here.
Our top picks for being Canada’s first-time members of the country’s men’s Olympic hockey team in Milan are Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets and Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks. They check in at -500 and -350, respectively, to make the cut next year.
These odds were developed exclusively for BetCanada.com, which also offers Stanley Cup odds for when the NHL regular season resumes this weekend. Remember, this list accounts only for players who did not represent Canada at the 4 Nations event.
Las Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson is next on our odds board at -250, followed by defensemen MacKenzie Weegar of the Calgary Flames at -165, Noah Dobson of the New York Islanders at -165 and Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers at -125.
Of those six favorites, Scheifele (780 points in 853 NHL games) has the most league experience. Bedard (110 points in 123 NHL games) is the least experienced of the lot, as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Guys like Thompson (80-34-16 record in 134 NHL games), Weegar (235 points in 524 NHL games), Bouchard (215 points in 320 NHL games) and Dobson (215 points in 363 NHL games) are veterans that fall in between the likes of Scheifele and Bedard but could add valuable on-ice experience to the Canadian national team in 2026.
Other names to keep an eye on are forwards Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks (+200), Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues, Wyatt Johnston of the Dallas Stars and Nick Suzuki of the Montreal Canadiens (+300 apiece).
Lastly, Washington Capitals strongman Tom Wilson is another name to remember when it comes to the Canadian team in next year’s games, with the longtime forward for the 2018 Stanley Cup champs holding +700 odds of making the cut in 2026.
USA Today photo by David Kirouac