Ex-Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat is on Hockey Canada's Olympic radar
Will former Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat suit up for Team Canada at the Winter Olympics next February?
He’s on their radar.
Hockey Canada has released a list of 42 players that have been invited to an off-ice orientation camp Aug. 26 to 28 in Calgary. Horvat was one of 26 forwards listed, meaning he is at least generating consideration for the Olympic squad.
The competition will be stiff for Horvat, who needs a strong start to the season to have a good shot at making it.
Canada will be allowed to take 25 players to Milan, consisting three goaltenders and 22 skaters, with likely 14 forwards will make the squad.
Five forwards and one defenceman have already been named to the team, so that doesn’t leave much room for Horvat.
Still, the New York Islanders centre does have some things going for him. Horvat represented Canada at the IIHF World Championship last spring, scoring eight points in six games. He ranks 22nd among Canadian NHL forwards in the last three seasons, scoring 195 points in 241 games.
Working against Horvat is the position he plays. Canada is so loaded at centre, Mark Scheifele wasn’t able to crack the 4 Nations roster. The Winnipeg Jets centre scored a career-high 87 points last season.
Seven players from British Columbia were named to the roster, including West Vancouver’s Sam Reinhart, who has already made the team. Connor Bedard (North Vancouver), Macklin Celebrini (North Vancouver), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Burnaby), Shea Theodore (Langley), Devon Toews (Abbotsford), and Adin Hill (Comox) were also named.
No current Canucks players made the camp roster, which isn’t a surprise. There will be Canucks content in Milan, but playing for other countries.
Quinn Hughes (USA) and Teddy Blueger (Latvia) have already been named to Olympic rosters. Expect Elias Pettersson (Sweden), Thatcher Demko (USA), Kevin Lankinen (Finland), Filip Hronek (Czechia), and Filip Chytil (Czechia) to get serious consideration for their respective countries.
Milano-Cortina 2026 will be the first Winter Olympics to feature active NHL players since Sochi 2014. The NHL has agreed to pause its season next February, with no games scheduled between Feb. 5 and 25.