Multiple Edmonton Oilers make first Team Canada Olympic projected roster

A few weeks ago, the NHL announced that they would be returning to international hockey and the Olympics for the first time in nearly ten years. Next year, the NHL won't hold an all-star game, and instead will host a Four Nations Faceoff international tournament in North America. The year after that, the NHL will go to the Olympics in Milan, Italy. With international hockey on the horizon, TSN's Craig Button has made his first projected Team Canada roster.

Button tried to project the best Canadian players in the year 2026, which explains some younger players making appearances and some older ones being omitted. Notably for the Edmonton Oilers, Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard, and Stuart Skinner are slotted to go to the Olympics.

Hyman may be a controversial pick for Team Canada, as there is objectively more talented players than him that have been left off. However, he's there to play the same role played Chris Kunitz for Sidney Crosby. Hyman's chemistry with McDavid makes it near impossible to leave him off the roster.


In the years since the last true best on best tournament, the United States has grown significantly as a hockey country. Despite having the best player in the world, it'd be no guarantee that Canada could beat the United States anymore. The return of international hockey is exhilarating for all hockey fans, the next two years can't come soon enough.