Canada Going for Gold: Local Talent you Could see Represent Canada at the 2026 Olympics

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The 2026 Winter Olympics for Men’s Hockey begins on February 11, with the final, gold medal game, being played on February 22.

Canada is 1 of 12 nations competing for Gold. They will start the tournament in Group A, playing Czechia, Switzerland, and France. Group B consists of Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, and the host country, Italy. Group C consists of the United States, Latvia, Germany, and Denmark.

Team Canada will not feature any players from the Vancouver Canucks, but looking at who they invited to their 2025 National Team Orientation Camp, they will have some local BC talent.

Defense

Team Canada could have 2 defencemen from BC taking part in the upcoming Olympics: Devon Toews and Shea Theodore.

Toews was born in Abbotsford and currently plays in the NHL for the Colorado Avalanche. Drafted by the New York Islanders, he played 2 seasons with them before being traded to the Avalanche.

On the Avalanche, Toews plays left defense in a pair with Cale Makar, who plays right defense. The two make a strong pair for the Avalanche, having won the Stanley Cup in 2022. Makar is confirmed to represent Canada, and Toews will work to join him, bringing their chemistry to the 2026 Olympics.

The last time Toews represented Canada was during the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. This was also the last time Theodore represented Canada, although his time playing in the tournament was cut short due to injury.

Theodore, born in Aldegrove, has represented Canada numerous times. He has represented Team Canada in the 2013 IIHF World U18 Championship and the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, winning gold in both. He also represented Team Canada in the 2019 IIHF World Championship, winning silver.

Theodore was drafted 26th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2013. He played with them until 2017, when the Las Vegas Golden Knights added him to their roster as a part of the NHL expansion draft.

He has played for the Golden Knights ever since, winning a Stanley Cup with them in 2023.

Canada has the ability to add 2 local, Stanley Cup winners to their 2026 roster to help lead them to a gold medal in Milan.

Forwards

Team Canada already has 1 forward from BC, Sam Reinhart, confirmed to take part in the upcoming Olympics, with potentially 3 more joining him, Macklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Reinhart was the forward taken the lowest out of all 4, in the NHL draft at second overall. The other 3 were all first overall draft picks, Celebrini being the latest, an impressive feat for these local forwards.

Born in Vancouver, Celebrini was the first overall pick in 2024 to the San Jose Sharks. He was the second player in a row to go first overall from Vancouver, with Bedard being drafted first overall the year prior, in 2023.

Celebrini had a strong rookie season, being nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy. He only has one NHL season under his belt and when it is time to play in the 2026 Olympics, he will only have gained another half a season of experience.

There is lots of veteran talent aiming to make the roster, which could make it harder for Celebrini to make Team Canada this time. However, he is only getting stronger and developing more, putting in the work to play now.

Celebrini played for Team Canada in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, where Canada lost in the quarter-finals to Czechia.

Most recently, Celebrini represented Canada in the 2025 IIHF World Championship, running from May 9-25, 2025. Canada lost in the quarter-final 2-1 to Denmark, ending their tournament. Playing with his childhood idol, Sidney Crosby, Celebrini gained invaluable experience and knowledge, helping him to get an edge to make it to the 2026 Olympics. 

Celebrini was not a part of Team Canada for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Also not a part of this team was Bedard, another young player with less experience in the NHL.

Born in North Vancouver, Bedard was taken first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL draft. Bedard played very well in his first year in the NHL, winning the 2024 Calder Memorial Trophy.

He had a harder sophomore season and by the end of it chose not to participate in the 2025 IIHF World Championship for Canada, instead focusing on recuperating and training for his next NHL season.

That means the last time he wore the Canadian jersey was in 2024 as a part of the 2024 IIHF World Championship. Canada came in fourth, losing by a shoot-out to Switzerland in the semi-finals, then losing to Sweden in the Bronze medal game.

Bedard had a very impressive World Junior career with Canada, recording the most points all time. Now 20, the then 17 year old took possession of this record with 32 points. What took Eric Lindros 21 games to take the record at 31 points, took Bedard only 14 to break his record.

Bedard set the new record with a goal, at the same time surpassing Jordan Eberle to become the all-time goal leader with 15. He also became Canada’s single tournament points leader with 19 during the 2023 IIHF World Juniors Championship.

The third first overall pick of these four is Nugent-Hopkins, born in Burnaby. He was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2011 draft.

The last time Nugent-Hopkins represented Canada was in 2018 as a part of the IIHF World Championship.

In the last 2 years, Nugent-Hopkins has been unable to play in the World Championship as it has overlapped with the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Oilers making it to the finals in the last 2 years.

Also making the Stanley Cup Finals in the last 2 years, and winning both times, is Reinhart and the Florida Panthers. Reinhart, born in West Vancouver, appreciates his home roots bringing the Stanley Cup to BC in back-to-back years on his day with the Cup.

Playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs has made him unable to participate in the IIHF World Championship over the past 2 years. However, he did play for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament.

Reinhart was 1 of the 6 originally named to Team Canada’s 2026 Olympic roster, confirming his spot with the team. With lots of cutting left to do to create the roster, the other 5 BC players will work hard to join Reinhart in Milan.