With nine Olympic gold medals in men’s ice hockey, most recently in 2014, Canada’s men’s national ice hockey team entered the Milan Winter Olympics 2026 as the heavy favorite. That confidence only grew after they wrapped up the preliminary play with a perfect 3–0 record, capped by a dominant 10–2 win over France on Sunday. Now, as they gear up for Wednesday’s quarterfinal, the team appears to have received a major boost: Brad Marchand, who missed 10 of the last 15 games for the Florida Panthers, is expected to be available.

At practice, Marchand skated in his familiar left wing spot on the fourth line, the same role he held at the start of the tournament. That placement strongly suggested he was indeed set to return after being held out of Team Canada’s lineup for the early 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan as a precautionary measure to manage his physical condition and ensure he was ready for the knockout stage. Shortly after, TSN reporter Mark Masters took to X to share the full lineup, further fueling the speculation.

“Lines at 🇨🇦 practice,” Masters wrote just hours ago. According to his report, the forward lines featured Celebrini–McDavid–Wilson, Marner–Crosby–Stone, Hagel–Suzuki–Reinhart, and Marchand–Horvat–Jarvis. On defense, it was Toews–Makar, Morrissey–Parayko, Harley–Doughty, and Sanheim–Theodore, with Binnington, Thompson, and Kuemper listed as goaltenders.

Still, there were a couple of notable absences. Star forward Nathan MacKinnon and Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett did not participate in Tuesday’s practice, as Hockey Canada labeled it a maintenance day for both players. Masters also mentioned their absence in his update, which could mean additional lineup changes ahead of tomorrow’s game.

Regardless, even before the reporter’s post, head coach Jon Cooper had already assured that Marchand would return for the quarterfinal.

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“Listen, he’ll be in the quarters. He’s going to play there,” Jon Cooper said confidently, addressing questions about Brad Marchand’s availability.

Cooper had previously mentioned that Marchand would suit up against France on Sunday, but ultimately, the team decided not to push it.

“In the end, we want to make sure everybody’s 100%. We thought this was a game where if we didn’t have to play him, we didn’t need to,” he explained.

Marchand hasn’t played since Canada’s opening win over Czechia, where he logged just 9:29 of ice time, recording two shots and finishing with a plus-one mark. Meanwhile, Canada has been rolling with a 3-0 record in the tournament. The only team that could match that record is the United States, but they would need to score 11 goals to overtake Canada on goal differential.

Individually, Marchand has been strong this season with the Florida Panthers. He’s tallied 25 goals and 25 assists, ranking second on the team in points despite missing 11 games.

As for the quarterfinals, Canada doesn’t yet know its opponent. They’ll hit the ice Wednesday against the winner of a qualification round matchup. From there, the semifinals are scheduled for February 20, with the gold medal game set for February 22, and Canada’s sights firmly set on finishing the job.

Brad Marchand is grateful for the moment ahead of the quarterfinal clash

“We’re all good. No panic,” 58-year-old head coach Jon Cooper said calmly, addressing concerns about his forwards.

Defenseman Josh Morrissey and forward Brad Marchand were both back on the ice for practice and participated in line rushes, a reassuring sign as Canada prepares for the knockout round.

There was some worry surrounding Nathan MacKinnon, who appeared to hurt his knee while delivering a hit late in Canada’s 10-2 win over France on Sunday. Earlier in that same period, he had also taken a high hit behind the French net. Despite the scare, MacKinnon has been productive, posting two goals and five points through three games.

Marchand, on the other hand, made it clear he’s just happy to be part of the group: “To be honest, coming in, I didn’t think I would be in the lineup.

“I thought I would be an extra guy and be a voice and try to be loud and obnoxious in the room. So, I mean, I’m just so proud and honored to be part of this group. It doesn’t matter if you get in the lineup or not. Everybody is just as important and has a role to play.”

Still, Canada will likely need him at full strength, especially the pesky, relentless version of Brad Marchand that opponents love to hate but respect. He scored in the tournament opener and can add grit even from the third or fourth line, particularly with a center like Crosby or Horvat. Canada now awaits the winner of Czechia vs. Denmark, while the United States faces the winner of Sweden vs. Latvia.

If both North American powerhouses advance, fans could be one step closer to a coveted Olympic final showdown, and for Brad Marchand, possibly one of his last chances to experience it on this stage.