Canada Ready for Gold at 2026 Winter Olympics

Team Canada is ready to capture another gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Feb 20, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [teammates look on, Team Canada forward Brad Marchand (63) carries the puck during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game against the United States at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Team Canada is ready to add another gold medal as the 2026 Winter Olympics are officially here. The NHL played its final games before a hiatus for international competition, and now all eyes turn to Italy as the globe battles for hockey supremacy.

This year's competition features the return of NHL players for the first time since the 2014 Games in Sochi, adding another level of competition and excitement to the global tournament.

With NHL players back in the mix, it all but guarantees one thing. The tournament will be an exciting and competitive one, but Canada's unbeatable roster is set to capture the gold medal.

Olympics' Deepest Team

The deepest team has the best chance to win the gold medal, right?

It's a no-brainer, then, that Canada should win this tournament. Let's start with the forward group, both offensively dangerous and well-balanced enough to play a shutdown game. Headlined by the game's two best players, Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon, plus one of the greatest players of all-time in Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, this group has three centers that would be the number one pivot on every single team they play on besides this one.

But it's the four forward lines that Canada will roll that will smother their opponents. Having forwards like Brad Marchand, Tom Wilson, Seth Jarvis, Mark Stone and Nick Suzuki set to play middle-six roles, they have an overwhelming advantage when it comes to forward groups at the Olympics.

It certainly helps to have the game's best defenseman as well. Cale Makar, the reigning Norris Trophy winner, is a difference-maker on the same level of MacKinnon and McDavid. He possesses the ability to take over the contest in one shift, and it's likely to happen once or twice in Milan.

Feb 20, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada forward Sidney Crosby (87) lifts the 4 Nations Face-Off trophy after winning against Team USA in overtime during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Canada's Question Mark

The five skaters on the ice won't be the problem for Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The biggest question mark plaguing them is goaltending.

It was their biggest question heading into the 4 Nation Face-Off in 2025, but Canada overcame that with a stellar performance from Jordan Binnington.

Can Binnington snap out of his funk again to backstop Canada? Or, will Darcy Kuemper and Logan Thompson take over? Both Kuemper and Thompson have been much better than Binnington this season, adding even more fuel to this goalie conundrum.

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