The Panthers’ Sam Bennett will be joining Team Canada at the Olympics. Carmen Mandato / Getty Images
Feb. 4, 2026Updated 11:49 am EST
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Sam Bennett had told his parents to cancel their flights to Italy. The Florida Panthers center and 4 Nations Face-Off participant had concluded that the 2026 Olympics were not in his future.
A call on Tuesday informing him that he would be an injury replacement on Team Canada for the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Anthony Cirelli turned everything upside down.
“Amazing day yesterday,” Bennett said with a smile. “You go from being super disappointed and just thinking about what more I could have done or what I could have done differently. Just tried to play the rest of the year and not think about it too much. To get that call yesterday, it’s really something I’ve dreamt about as a kid and thought about every day since last year, putting on that jersey. To say it meant a lot to me is a huge understatement. Because it really meant the world.”
Bennett, 29, played a big role for Team Canada at the 4 Nations tournament. His highlight was fighting Brady Tkachuk after Panthers teammate Matthew Tkachuk challenged Brandon Hagel. Bennett also scored the game-tying goal in the final against the U.S., which set the stage for Connor McDavid’s overtime winner.
However, Bennett was not among the names, such as Florida teammate Brad Marchand, who made the roster on Dec. 31, 2025. It hurt.
“It’s been pretty difficult,” Bennett said. “I was super disappointed. I tried not to let that affect my game or my life. Still tried to come to the rink with a smile every day and work as hard as I can. In the back of your head, you always think there’s going to be a chance. But you never really know. Definitely fighting a lot of tough thoughts and battling, trying to move on from it, stick it out and stay with it. In the end, it worked out for me. I’m very grateful for that.”
The Canadian men’s hockey team will start its Olympics with a preliminary game on Feb. 12 against the Czech Republic.
Feb 4, 2026
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