As NHL players prepare to return to the Olympics at Milan-Cortina in 2026, Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby are getting set to lead the way for Canada.
The two superstars were among the 92 players from the country’s men’s, women’s and para hockey teams invited to the National Teams Orientation Camp that runs Tuesday through Thursday in Calgary. Team USA’s camp takes place in Plymouth, Mich.
Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and Mitch Marner are set to participate on the men’s side, while Marie Phillipe-Poulin, Sarah Fillier and Natalie Spooner will take part in the women’s group.
The orientation camp is a three-day, off-ice event featuring presentations, team-building sessions and meetings aimed at preparing players and staff for the upcoming Olympic season.
“We are excited to unveil the 92 athletes who will kick off the road to Italy, and to bring our men’s, women’s and para hockey teams together for three days as the first step towards our goal of winning triple gold in February,” said Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada’s senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations. “While the next several months will bring intense evaluation and difficult roster decisions, we look forward to kicking off the season in Calgary and giving our athletes and staff a chance to come together and start to become one team as we set our sights on February.”
The list features all 24 players from Canada’s championship-winning squad at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, including the same trio of goaltenders — Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues, Adin Hill of the Vegas Golden Knights and Sam Montembeault of the Montreal Canadiens.
The men’s Olympic hockey tournament runs Feb. 11-22 in Milan, Italy. Canada won its third gold medal in four Games, the last time NHL players participated in the Olympics in 2014.
Four goaltenders, 10 defenders and 16 forwards have been invited to the women’s camp, including 17 who helped Canada beat the United States 3-2 in the final to win a gold medal in 2022 in Beijing. Women’s Olympic rosters in Italy will be 23 players.
Defenders Chloe Primerano and Nicole Gosling, forward Caitlin Kraemer, and goaltenders Kayle Osborne and Eve Gascon are among players under the age of 23 on the roster.
-With files from The Canadian Press
