For some Canadians, World Championship is last major audition for 2026 Olympics

May 13, 2025, 14:00 EDT

For some Canadians, World Championship is last major audition for 2026 Olympics

Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

For the first time since 2014, NHLers are headed to the Olympics – and that makes the IIHF men’s World Championship even more exciting this month.

Many discount the tournament because it’s not best on best. But when Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon committed to Team Canada, among others, people took notice. It would have been easy to understand if they decided to skip out after winning gold at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. But the idea of chasing a second gold in the same year – and help get Marc-Andre Fleury into the Triple Gold Club – seemed to be too appealing to pass up.

Canada has five returning players from the 4 Nations tournament: forwards Crosby, MacKinnon, and Travis Konecny, defenseman Travis Sanheim, and goaltender Jordan Binnington. All of them should be in the conversation to play in Italy next winter – and for Crosby, it might be the last time we see him at a top-level national team tournament.

Canada’s World Championship roster has two Olympic locks up front: Crosby and MacKinnon. The Timbit Bros. have been as lethal as you’d expect, with MacKinnon sitting tied for first in team scoring with four points in two games. Crosby has three assists, but he’s also been lethal physically and defensively, showing the rest of the world why he’s still one of the greatest. Having both of them on this Canadian roster gives it much more legitimacy. They played together in 2015, but MacKinnon hadn’t come close to reaching the superstar status he possesses today.

Konecny has played a significantly bigger role compared to at the 4 Nations. There, he had zero points in two games as a fourth-liner, swapping in and out as the tournament wore on. In Sweden, Konecny has been massive, registering two goals, four points and a team-leading 10 shots while playing alongside Pennsylvanian rival Sidney Crosby. Konecny is coming off a personal-best season of 76 points, being one of the few bright spots on a bad Philadelphia Flyers team this year. Konecny previously played for Canada back at the 2017 World Championship, and impressed with eight assists en route to a silver medal. But in Sweden, we’ve seen him open the eyes of many who haven’t paid close attention to the Flyers since they last made the playoffs in 2020.

Canada has plenty of scoring wingers to choose from, so Konecny isn’t a lock. But his ability to play a feisty, energetic game makes him a perfect bottom-six candidate – or, at the very least, the 13th forward. Going to Sweden was absolutely the right choice for Konecny to show Hockey Canada just how versatile he is up close.

Macklin Celebrini is going to have a tough time trying to crack one of the final roster spots, but he’s absolutely in the conversation. Celebrini has primarily played on Crosby’s wing, but Celebrini also was the team’s No. 1 center during the pre-tournament, where he outperformed just about everyone.

The skilled, strong two-way center already has a point-per-game, and it’s incredible watching him play with the best linemates of his career so far. Defensively, Celebrini has been a beast, working harder than anyone to retrieve pucks and bring them back into the O-zone. If he makes Canada, he’d be a formidable fourth-line option because he’s got the speed, hockey sense and defensive awareness to be so valuable, while also being fully capable of stepping up in the lineup if needed.

On the blueline, three names stand out: Sanheim, MacKenzie Weegar and Noah Dobson. Sanheim is the lone defender from the 4 Nations team, serving as an all-around blueliner capable of playing with anyone. He was one of Canada’s better players at shutting down zone entries, and his own-zone play was great.

Weegar, meanwhile, was one of the top defenders left off the team, and many expected him to be Alex Pietrangelo’s injury replacement. It never happened, but Weegar has been one of Canada’s better puck distributors in Sweden and continues to be effective in all three zones.

The biggest wild card is Dobson, who was injured and missed out on Canada’s roster. His production went down by more than 30 points this year (in just eight fewer games), but he didn’t have much to work with on the Islanders. A good showing in Europe over the next week and a half could go a long way.

Binnington hasn’t played yet, but he was the last goaltender named to Canada’s roster. Many questioned his ability to backstop Canada back in the winter, but ultimately came up clutch when it mattered most. He had excellent high-danger numbers in Montreal and Boston, and carried that momentum to help lead the Blues to the playoffs this year. Binnington had a rough go at this tournament a year ago, though, so he’ll want to match his 4 Nations performance instead.

Beyond that, there aren’t many others with serious cases to make Canada’s final roster. Bo Horvat, Kent Johnson and Brandon Montour have all been impressive, and it was incredible watching Fleury play as well as he did in his tournament debut. Canada holds a 2-0 record heading into Tuesday’s game against France, and they look like favorites to win gold overall.

The World Championship is the biggest hockey celebration you’ll find. The crowds are special and the hockey is fun. But with the Olympics on the horizon, there’s something else at stake for some of Canada’s top stars – and they won’t want to squander the opportunity.

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For some Canadians, World Championship is last major audition for 2026 Olympics

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