NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Washington Capitals at Montreal Canadiens - Source: Imagn — Canada GM shines spotlight on Canadiens' Nick Suzuki, others for potentially making 2026 Olympics squad after 4 Nations omission- Source: Imagn

Canada GM shines spotlight on Canadiens' Nick Suzuki, others for potentially making 2026 Olympics squad after 4 Nations omission

Modified Jun 17, 2025 22:26 GMT

Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong highlighted Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki and others as potential candidates for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics roster, despite their omission from the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

On Monday, Team Canada named its first six players for the Olympics: Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, Brayden Point, Sam Reinhart and Cale Makar. These players also represented Canada in the gold-winning game at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

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Armstrong indicated that while the Olympic roster may not see a complete overhaul, there could be opportunities for new players.

"I would say that certainly the majority, probably could be 70 to 80 per cent of the players, could be consistent from that event," he said, according to Sportsnet. "But I think some players are going to rise up."

Armstrong pointed to players like Robert Thomas, who faced early-season injuries but excelled later, as well as Nick Suzuki and Tom Wilson, who both had strong performances during the regular season.

"I think if you look at some of the players that were on the cusp of making that 4 Nations team," Armstrong continued, "we had one in St. Louis, Robert Thomas, obviously got a difficult start to his year with injuries and didn't have a chance with the team being named early to put his best foot forward.

"He played fantastic the rest of that season. Nick Suzuki was another player who played great hockey. Tom Wilson played great hockey."

He emphasized that players who missed the 4 Nations team will have a chance to make a case, leveraging the extra time before final selection.

"There are a lot of guys that didn't make that team who are going to want to have a great October, November, December, and using that extra month, I think, is going to be advantageous to us," he added.

In addition to Suzuki, Thomas and Wilson, notable omissions from the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament included Connor Bedard, Mark Scheifele, Zach Hyman, MacKenzie Weegar, Chris Tanev and Evan Bouchard.

Team USA announces its first six players for the 2026 Olympics

On Monday, Team USA announced its first six players for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics: Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and Charlie McAvoy.

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The men's hockey tournament will take place from February 11 to 22 at the Olympics in Milan.

Also Read: NHL insider makes shocking Brad Marchand prediction for Team Canada's 2026 Olympic roster headlined by Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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