Hockey Canada has revealed its National Teams Orientation Camp list, featuring a star-studded lineup of NHL players, including Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby, as the nation sets its sights on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina. The camp, scheduled to take place from August 26-28 in Calgary, will bring together 92 athletes from the men's, women's, and para hockey teams for a three-day off-ice event. This orientation camp will feature presentations, team-building sessions, and meetings designed to prepare players and staff for the upcoming Olympic season.
The orientation camp roster includes the six players who were named to the team in June: Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Brayden Point, and Sam Reinhart. All 24 players from Canada's championship-winning squad at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February have also been invited, including goaltenders Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill, and Sam Montembeault. Veteran forwards such as Tom Wilson, John Tavares, and Nick Suzuki, along with defensemen Evan Bouchard and MacKenzie Weegar, are also on the list.
The roster also includes a new generation of talent, such as 20-year-old Connor Bedard and 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini. Several players have previously won gold at the IIHF Men's World Championship, including Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Mitch Marner, Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand, Brandon Hagel, and Mark Scheifele. Nineteen of the athletes have won the Stanley Cup, including Sam Bennett, Colton Parayko, and Sam Reinhart.
This marks the return of NHL players to the Olympics after 12 years, following an agreement between the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation. The NHL participated in five consecutive Games from 1998 to 2014 but chose to skip the 2018 showcase for financial reasons, and plans for a return in 2022 were canceled due to COVID-19. Canada's NHL players won gold at the 2002, 2010, and 2014 Games.
The men's Olympic hockey tournament is scheduled for February 11-22 in Milan, Italy. Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, who coached at the 4 Nations Face-Off, will return to lead the team. Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada's senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, expressed excitement about unveiling the 92 athletes and bringing the men's, women's, and para hockey teams together. He acknowledged that the upcoming months would involve intense evaluation and difficult roster decisions but emphasized the importance of giving the athletes and staff a chance to come together and work towards the goal of winning triple gold in February.
