“It’ll be a treat to be alongside him, be on his team and watch his habits,” Brad Marchand confessed about the opportunity to represent Team Canada alongside Connor McDavid at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. The Oilers’ captain also reciprocated the sentiment as he readied himself to share locker room space with “The Rat”. And now, they might be able to renew the camaraderie once again.

With the 2026 Olympics fast approaching, preparations for the upcoming biggest sporting event are in full swing. Under such circumstances, Canada is also getting the ball rolling in hopes of clinching its 10th gold at the competition. With that in mind, McDavid could be looking to spend some time with his NHL foes under the same banner before the League kicks off its 2025-26 season.

On August 1, David, host of The FLA Cats Hockey Podcast, took to X to share that the stars have been called to join “Canada’s 2026 Olympic orientation camp, which will take place in August“. In the attached image, one can notice that both McDavid and the Panthers’ Brad Marchand have been called upon by their nation to start preparing for the ’26 Italy Winter Olympics. The thunderous NHL forwards will be joined by the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby as well.

So far, 42 players in total are expected to join Canada’s Olympic orientation camp, and it looks like the reigning NHL champs will have a ton of representation at the August camp. The final team will comprise 25 players: typically 14 forwards, eight defensemen, and 3 goalies. As of now, six preliminary players have been named to Team Canada’s roster for next year’s Winter Olympics.

McDavid and Crosby have both been named in the initial squad that will represent the USA’s northern neighbors on the grandeur stage in 2026. The Penguins’ 3x Stanley Cup-winning Crosby finished the 2024-25 season with 91 points, while Edmonton’s poster boy did so with 100 points (33 points in the playoffs). Moreover, Crosby also stepped into the history books with his 1,034th career assist in the NHL, finally toppling the iconic Mario Lemieux’s record in the 2024-25 season.

Marchand isn’t a stranger to shaking hands with the legendary Lemieux. Thanks to his incredible postseason performance in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals, the ex-Bruins captain is now the only player in the League’s history, along with the former Pittsburgh star, to score five goals in multiple Cup Finals. Safe to assume that if Marchand does make it to the final roster, he will be a wonderful addition to Team Canada’s Olympic squad.

They will be joined by the Panthers’ Sam Reinhart. The Cats’ forward made history this year by becoming the first NHL star to score four goals in a Stanley Cup-clinching game, and we believe his presence at the Calgary camp later in August will only benefit Connor McDavid, whom Reinhart has openly praised previously.

And still, it won’t be a walk in the park for Canada when the 2026 Olympics arrive. Why? Because we won’t let them, that’s why!

Connor McDavid will have strong competition from Canada’s arch-nemesis

Like Canada, the US is also concocting its own winning formula behind closed doors with the Winter Games on the horizon. Like our neighbors, USA Hockey has also announced six initial players who will represent the Stars and Stripes at next year’s competition. The roster includes the Maple Leafs’ brilliant Auston Matthews, the Bruins’ electrifying D-Man Charlie McAvoy, the Tkachuk brothers, the Vegas Golden Knights’ scintillating Jack Eichel, and Quinn Hughes of the Canucks.

Safe to say the initial lineup is already looking pretty solid. From attacking the puck to keeping the opponents at bay, the team has a little bit of everything, and the stars who have been named share an incredible amount of experience between themselves. Moreover, right after Matthew Tkachuk won his second straight Stanley Cup with the Panthers in June, his brother made a boastful claim that winning the Olympic gold is the next goal.

So, with the preparations underway, which North American team do you think looks beefier as of now? Which of the two teams carries more of your favorite NHL stars? Toss a comment below!