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Other last-minute changes that could be coming to Canada's Olympic roster

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Feb 3 2026, 7:34 pm
Other last-minute changes that could be coming to Canada's Olympic roster
Bob DeChiara/Imagn Images

Team Canada has made one change to its Olympic men’s hockey roster, and more could be on the way.

After initially being snubbed, Sam Bennett is headed to Milano Cortina 2026 as an injury replacement for Anthony Cirelli.

Bennett may not be the only snub who finds his way onto this roster, either. There are four other Canadian players who are at risk of missing this tournament.

The most notable is Brayden Point, who has missed the last nine Tampa Bay Lightning games due to a lower-body injury. The 29-year-old has already been ruled out for the Lightning’s two remaining games ahead of the Olympic break.

Point, who has 11 goals and 30 points on the season, is expected to play a top-six role for Canada should he be healthy. Given how long he’s missed, however, there is real concern he may not be ready to go.

Another notable injury involves Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson. The 28-year-old is viewed as the favourite by many to serve as the number-one goalie for Canada to begin this tournament.

Thompson, who is in the running for the Vezina Trophy, was placed on injured reserve on Monday. It isn’t believed to be a serious injury, and the Capitals haven’t ruled him out for either of their remaining two games ahead of the break.

The final injury to keep an eye on is Brad Marchand’s. It doesn’t appear to be overly serious as he’s listed as just day-to-day, but has missed each of the Florida Panthers’ last two games.

And, though not injury-related, Devon Toews’ status also remains up in the air. The Colorado Avalanche defenceman’s wife is pregnant and is due early this month. He’s made it clear that he will skip the Olympics if their baby isn’t born in time.

Potential injury replacements

If Canada needs another player, who is likely to get the call? Here are some candidates:

Forwards:Ā 

  • Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks)
  • Mark Scheifele (Winnipeg Jets)
  • Zach Hyman (Edmonton Oilers)
  • Seth Jarvis (Carolina Hurricanes)
  • Wyatt Johnston (Dallas Stars)
  • Travis Konecny (Philadelphia Flyers)

Defencemen:Ā 

  • Evan Bouchard (Edmonton Oilers)
  • Matthew Schaefer (New York Islanders)
  • Jakob Chychrun (Washington Capitals)
  • Noah Dobson (Montreal Canadiens)

Goaltenders:Ā 

  • MacKenzie Blackwood (Colorado Avalanche)
  • Scott Wedgewood (Colorado Avalanche)
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