2026 Olympic men's ice hockey rosters

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Nope. Still not a good fit when neither McDavid or Celebrini are strong defensively. Reinhart would be the defensive conscience of that line and then hammer in one timers set up by those two. Wilson is a good player, but at this level, he's not a top line player.

This season Wilson is out-producing Reinhart on point per game basis. Reinhart obviously has a better career.

Also need to keep in mind that the ice is a bit smaller than NHL which can make someone who can hold up in space more valuable.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Nope. Still not a good fit when neither McDavid or Celebrini are strong defensively. Reinhart would be the defensive conscience of that line and then hammer in one timers set up by those two. Wilson is a good player, but at this level, he's not a top line player.

Well imagine the only way he stays in the lineup is if it does work game 1. Jarvis and Bennett in the press box just seems wrong… and to be short lived.

[metroneck]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

This season Wilson is out-producing Reinhart on point per game basis. Reinhart obviously has a better career.

Also need to keep in mind that the ice is a bit smaller than NHL which can make someone who can hold up in space more valuable.

Am I thrilled that my nephew has to sit beside Oiler stink on the bench? No, but adding Wilson to the line will create more puck pressure and space.

With Macklin’s ability to retrieve pucks and distribute, McAvi will be able to feast on the open ice.

[transplant99]

Im gonna trust Jon Cooper has a pretty good idea of who will work with who based on his past success of doing so.

Im also curious where this narrative that Wilson is poor defensively is coming from.

He is, and has been for a few seasons now, playing very much like a top winger in the game which includes a solid 200' game.

He just happens to be a complete brute as well. He is the proverbial "unicorn" of a player.

He is on this team for a reason.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by sch19lks

Lebrun just said on SportsCentre that the US had a 90 minute window to practice today. They used the first 15 minutes to run some drills and then used the remainder of the time as basically a free skate. That blows my mind.

Thats actually a pretty good way to go about it when starting to try and get over jet lag.

[CliffFletcher]

Cooper says Wilson is one of the best forecheckers he's seen.

“That’s obviously, I think, the hope: someone that can go in and forecheck some pucks back and be good along the wall and get to the net and bang a few home,” McDavid said. “That’s what he does really well.”

Cooper thinks Wilson does that more than “really well.”

“Listen, everybody needs an F1,” Cooper said, referring to the lead forechecking forward. “And that big boy there is one of the best I’ve seen, I’ll be honest.”

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...ines-identity/

Just like the NHL, most of the goals scored in this tournament will be off the cycle. And it's not as though Wilson has hands of stone - the guy has 45 goals and 90 points in his last 100 NHL games.

[Canada 02]

interesting that Hughes and Faber are separated; Sanderson and Werenski are a third pair. Just crazy depth on their blueline

https://twitter.com/user/status/2020847298398278135

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Im gonna trust Jon Cooper has a pretty good idea of who will work with who based on his past success of doing so.

Im also curious where this narrative that Wilson is poor defensively is coming from.

He is, and has been for a few seasons now, playing very much like a top winger in the game which includes a solid 200' game.

He just happens to be a complete brute as well. He is the proverbial "unicorn" of a player.

He is on this team for a reason.

Not "poor" at all, but I don't believe he's strong enough defensively to make up for the other two on that line. Reinhart has been in the top for Selke voting the last couple of years. It just makes a lot of sense to put him on that line for his finishing ability as well as covering defensively for McDavid, who is known to cheat up ice, and Celebrini, who is still a very young player still learning the defensive game at this level.

Look, if I post the lines back to back, you'll be able to judge for yourself what makes more sense.

Currently:
Celebrini-McDavid-Wilson
Hagel-Horvat-Reinhart

Alternative:
Celebrini-McDavid-Reinhart
Hagel-Horvat-Wilson

[indes]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Not "poor" at all, but I don't believe he's strong enough defensively to make up for the other two on that line. Reinhart has been in the top for Selke voting the last couple of years. It just makes a lot of sense to put him on that line for his finishing ability as well as covering defensively for McDavid, who is known to cheat up ice, and Celebrini, who is still a very young player still learning the defensive game at this level.

Look, if I post the lines back to back, you'll be able to judge for yourself what makes more sense.

Currently:
Celebrini-McDavid-Wilson
Hagel-Horvat-Reinhart

Alternative:
Celebrini-McDavid-Reinhart
Hagel-Horvat-Wilson

Just to piggyback IMO the bottom line of

Jarvis-Bennett-Wilson

Looks way better to me and there's no line in the tournament I wouldn't put them up against.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Im gonna trust Jon Cooper has a pretty good idea of who will work with who based on his past success of doing so.

Im also curious where this narrative that Wilson is poor defensively is coming from.

He is, and has been for a few seasons now, playing very much like a top winger in the game which includes a solid 200' game.

He just happens to be a complete brute as well. He is the proverbial "unicorn" of a player.

He is on this team for a reason.

Jon Cooper also thought Anthony Cirelli was an olympian over some much better players so I think it’s OK to question some of decisions here and there instead of assuming everything he does it perfect.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by indes

Just to piggyback IMO the bottom line of

Jarvis-Bennett-Wilson

Looks way better to me and there's no line in the tournament I wouldn't put them up against.

I like Hagel-Bennett-Wilson myself.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Im gonna trust Jon Cooper has a pretty good idea of who will work with who based on his past success of doing so.

Im also curious where this narrative that Wilson is poor defensively is coming from.

He is, and has been for a few seasons now, playing very much like a top winger in the game which includes a solid 200' game.

He just happens to be a complete brute as well. He is the proverbial "unicorn" of a player.

He is on this team for a reason.

All true. And yes, Wilson is a bit of a unicorn.

But that doesn't mean you just slap him on the top line and forget about it.

Yes, most goals are scored off the cycle. But both McDavid and Celebrini are most dangerous in transition and off the rush. Reinhart is more effective in that scenario than Wilson.

And Wilson's forecheck - and overall unicorn-ness - would be just as effective on any line.

[The EBUG's EBUG]

Maybe not the thread for this so feel free to direct me elsewhere, but has anybody on here discussed the genuinely awful job Bauer has done with the team merch and jerseys for this tournament?

Getting the chance to fly out for the Quarter and Semi finals, thought I should try and pickup a jersey ahead of time. Shocked at how bad the options and quality are. Yesterday I hit up Adrenaline, Pro Hockey Life, 2 Team Town Sports, and 2 Sportcheks, and on the Hockey Canada online store to see what I could find so this is a problem across the board and not one of specific selection.

The main option is the "Semi-Pro" jersey which was $400 most places, made with the roughest material you've ever felt and only had the subjectively bad black leaf red available. The step down "Replica" came in at $150 without a name bar but was a completely different and cheaper material that looks completely different. Both were horrible sizing, arm numbers were glued on no stitched, and the selection was just shocking.

This is Team Canada, how can it possibly be acceptable that they wouldn't make the whole roster available to purchase? Half these stores have name bar pressing tools, they couldn't have shipped separate name bars and let people pick? Even at the insane price I was fully prepared to grab a Celebrini or someone obscure and fun (Wilson would go hard). Instead the only options are Crosby, McDavid, Mackinnon, Makar, Poulin.

Sure, you hit the "big" names, but that's still absolutely ridiculous to me that for the biggest best on best tournament in over a decade you choose to cheap out. You can tell they're aware that it's bad as well because ever other ad on instagram for me right now is some Bauer account video saying "No jersey? No problem! We have T-Shirts!" (again with only a handful of names available).

Feel like I could rant about jerseys all day (screw you Fanatics) and how even at Flames games I've noticed a boom in knock off jerseys in the crowds simply because they're more affordable and of basically the same quality.

At this point I'm far more likely to rock my Canada Spengler Cup J or hit up Marketplace and find a retro Canada for my trip for a fraction of the price and dramatically better quality. It's genuinely crazy to me that Bauer would cheap out with these low quality and limited options, hate to see it.

[Bill Bumface]

Wilson on the top line feels like someone who grew up watching too much Gretzky/McSorley.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

Wilson on the top line feels like someone who grew up watching too much Gretzky/McSorley.

Gillies - Trottier - Bossy

Semenko - Gretzky - Kurri

It used to be a thing. But the game has changed.

Gillies is actually the perfect comparable for Wilson, now that I think of it.

[OILFAN #81]

Current:

Celebrini McDavid Wilson
Marchand MacKinnon Suzuki
Stone Crosby Marner
Hagel Horvat Reinhart

Jarvis Bennett

Toews Makar
Morrissey Parayko
Harley Doughty

Theodore Sanheim

What I would do:

Celebrini McDavid Reinhart
Crosby MacKinnon Marner
Marchand-Bennett-Wilson
Stone-Horvat-Suzuki
Jarvis, Hagel

Toews Makar
Morrissey Parayko
Harley-Theodore

Sanheim, Doughty

Thompson
Binnington

Kuemper

[Enoch Root]

I don't mind Stone or Wilson with Crosby and MacKinnon

Celebrini - McDavid - Reinhart
Crosby - MacKinnon - Stone
Marchand - Bennett - Wilson (that would be wild!)
Marner - Horvat - Suzuki

(you could also switch Marner and Marchand)

[Monahammer]

I dont like the American forward lines. Imo should be

Tkachuk-eichel-tkachuk
Hughes-matthews-connor
Guentzel-thompson-Boldy
Larkin-Nelson-keller


Going to be a great game.

Canada i would like to see:

Marner-Crosby-Mackinnon
Celebrini-McDavid-Reinhart
Marchand-Bennett-Stone
Hagel-Suzuki-Jarvis

[GioforPM]

I actually think Marchand would look great with McDavid.

[Titan2]

Not gonna repost the whole thread but an easy to read schedule is here: https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=201126