There were likely a bunch of NHL standouts wondering if they were wasting their time this week at Hockey Canada’s Olympic orientation camp in Calgary.
There has been so much praise — and deservedly so — for the group that captured the title in February at the 4 Nations Face-Off. So as preparations begin to go for gold at the 2026 Winter Games in Milano-Cortina, Italy, how much roster tinkering is required?
Isn’t there an old saying about messing with a good thing?
“The roster at the 4 Nations was 23 and the roster for the Olympics is 25, so theoretically we could have the whole same team with two extras,” Team Canada bench boss Jon Cooper reminded. “It was great to be here and celebrate with that group of guys because as soon as the 4 Nations ended, everybody left and so we’ve never been together as a group since then. It brought a smile to my face and I think everybody was genuinely moved to be in the same room together, maybe one last time.
“But in saying that, we have to turn the page. Now, the big one is coming up in a few months and the goal here is to make sure everybody leaves Calgary with one thing in mind — that the No. 1 thing they want to do is make the Olympic team. I’m proud of the guys from the 4 Nations, but now this is going to be a year later. The favouritism is putting the best team together that is going to help us win the Olympics.”
You can bet that message resonated with Winnipeg Jets sharpshooter Mark Scheifele, Edmonton Oilers power-play quarterback Evan Bouchard, Calgary Flames workhorse MacKenzie Weegar and with other 4 Nations outsiders who have been short-listed for a trip to Italy in February.
It certainly makes sense that each and every member of Canada’s latest best-on-best squad — from captain Sidney Crosby and championship-game overtime hero Connor McDavid to scrappin’ Sam Bennett, depth dudes such as Seth Jarvis and Travis Konecny, and mid-tournament injury replacement Thomas Harley — scored an invitation to orientation camp, which also included hopefuls from the women’s and para programs.
But there are several months of auditions ahead. Doug Armstrong, who helms Canada’s management crew, revealed Thursday that beyond the 42 men invited to this get-together in Calgary, another 50 names are on a long list to be scouted and evaluated in the lead-up to the Olympic roster deadline.
When answering a question about the youngest candidates, Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, he stressed: “They’ve been told that Oct. 7 to Jan. 1 is massive for them, like it is for everybody else.”
“It’s a great opportunity,” added Armstrong, the general manager of the St. Louis Blues, when asked Thursday about the biggest challenge in building a Team Canada. “The chance to work with the coaches I get to work with, the chance to work with the management I get to work with, to watch the players … For the next three years, I won’t scout these guys. You don’t go scout these guys because they’re never available.
“But what you want to try to do is build a team, not an all-star team. So what you want to get is as much information as you can on how these guys operate in the room. With your NHL team, you always talk about, ‘You have to sacrifice.’ But when you talk about that, you’re not talking about these guys. You’re talking about, ‘Everyone else, you have to sacrifice for these guys.’
“But ultimately, players have to make sacrifices. We saw it at the 4 Nations — someone like Brad Marchand, whose ice time wasn’t what it was with his club team, was a vital part of our leadership group. (Assistant coach) Pete DeBoer was talking about how Drew Doughty helped Harley get through some tough times as he was getting his feet wet.
“Those are things that we don’t see and those are things that you have to make sure you’re aware of as you’re picking a team.”
When they do pick the team, with an anticipated reveal of sometime around New Year’s Day, there will be about 10 million different opinions on what they should or could have done differently.
Heck, some Canadians are still grousing about Rob Zamuner’s inclusion on the Olympic men’s hockey roster — and that was in 1998!
“Everybody gets second-guessed in everything they do. You know, quite often I second-guess your reporting,” Cooper quipped Thursday, teasing a circle of scribes and TV types. “Let’s be honest and, in all seriousness, when you win, it’s hard to second-guess. But we need to second-guess internally.
“The margin of players, it’s so small, and how good they are … The big thing for us is not looking at the top-30 scorers and we’re going to have the top-20 Canadians. It’s picking the right team.”
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They got it right at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but they know anything less than a repeat feat would be considered a major failure.
That’s what they signed up for.
“In a couple of weeks, we’re going back to our day jobs. And then all of a sudden, the Olympics are going to be here before we know it,” said Cooper, who must also balance his regular duties as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, prior to Thursday’s departures in Calgary. “But we have set the table. We do have a little bit of a process now of what to do and what to expect.
“Our job is to take the Ferrari and make it better. That’s what we’re doing here.”