It's been less than a week since the flame for the Milan Cortina Olympics was extinguished, but we're already looking ahead to French Alps 2030, where Canada's men's hockey team will look to avenge its silver-medal finish.
Best-on-best play will return at the World Cup of Hockey in February 2028, but we're staying focused on the crown jewel of international puck: the Olympics.
So, which players will be a part of Team Canada four years from now? Below, we project the full 25-player roster. Players listed in bold weren't selected for the 2026 Olympic team.
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Forwards
2026 departures: Sam Bennett, Sidney Crosby, Brandon Hagel, Bo Horvat, Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, Mark Stone, Tom Wilson
We're expecting half the forward group to turn over, including Crosby. He'll be 42 for the next Olympics, and while he might still be playing, it seems more likely he'll be retired. Marchand, who will be 41 in 2030, was an easy omission. Bennett, Horvat, Reinhart, Stone, and Wilson will probably be past their primes. We thought long and hard about Hagel but simply couldn't find room for him.
Although Sennecke on the first line may be a surprise, we're seeking some balance. Canada was essentially a one-line team by the end of the 2026 Games. With this forward group, McDavid and MacKinnon can carry the first line, while Celebrini and Bedard can anchor the second one. Sennecke, a likely Calder Trophy finalist, has a sky-high ceiling. Don't sleep on Guenther either; he's on pace for nearly 40 goals in his age-22 season.
Byfield's size and speed could nicely complement a shutdown line with returnees Suzuki and Marner. The versatile and intelligent Johnston could slot anywhere in the lineup, and we ultimately placed him on the fourth line. We're banking on Fantilli's potential; the 2023 No. 3 pick could be one of the game's premier power forwards by 2030. Cozens has rejuvenated his career with the Senators, and his size, speed, physicality, and defensive acumen could be appealing traits in a 13th forward.
Defense
2026 departures: Drew Doughty, Colton Parayko, Travis Sanheim, Shea Theodore, Devon Toews
The blue line gets a complete overhaul here. Doughty, who will be 40 for the next Olympics, was an easy cut. The rest of our omissions from the 2026 roster will likely be past their primes, although we did consider bringing back Toews or Sanheim - they'll be 35 and 33, respectively, in 2030.
Makar and Harley are near locks to return. Morrissey was on our bubble, but we wanted one more veteran, and he could still be going strong in 2030 at age 34.
Schaefer is a lock. He had a case to make the 2026 team, even at 18 years old. Dobson has the length, mobility, and two-way game Hockey Canada typically covets. He and Harley could make a strong shutdown pair.
The rest of our selections admittedly require more imagination. If Bouchard can limit his backbreaking mistakes over the next four years, he'll be there. Power hasn't come into his own yet, but the 2021 No. 1 pick is just 23 years old. Even if he never reaches his offensive ceiling, he has the raw materials to become elite defensively in his 6-foot-6, 226-pound frame and above-average mobility.
Our final pick on defense is arguably our most controversial. Verhoeff is a surefire top-five pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and could even go first overall. The 6-foot-4, 212-pounder played well as an underager for Canada at the world juniors and is enjoying a superb freshman campaign at North Dakota. We also considered Landon DuPont, the projected 2027 No. 1 pick, but ultimately determined that was too much of a reach. He's a 5-foot-11 offensive defenseman - an archetype Canada typically steers clear of when selecting depth. But never say never.
Goaltending
2026 departures: Jordan Binnington, Darcy Kuemper
It's not easy to pick Canada's goalies one year out from a tournament, let alone four. Thompson feels like the safest bet to return, since he's enjoying another strong season and just turned 29.
Cossa is a true wild card considering he has just one NHL game under his belt. But the 23-year-old is having another exceptional year in the AHL and has all the tools to be a star in the NHL, thanks in part to his 6-foot-7, 220-pound frame. There's a reason the Red Wings drafted him 15th overall in 2021 - the highest pick spent on a Canadian goalie since Jonathan Bernier was drafted 11th overall in 2006.
Greaves is perhaps the opposite of Cossa: He went undrafted and is only 6 feet tall. At age 24, he's playing extremely well in his first full NHL season after shining as a call-up late in the 2024-25 campaign.
