The Chicago Blackhawks, the last time the Olympics had NHL players participating, were swarmed with Olympians all over their roster. Things are a little bit different coming into 2025-26, which will finally be a year where the NHL takes a break to go to the Olympic Games in Italy.
One player that the front office, fans, and the league would like to see work his way onto Team Canada's roster is Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard. If he made it, that would mean that he had a tremendous start to the year, and he looks like the marketable player that everyone was hoping he'd be when he was selected first overall in 2023.
Bedard didn't make the Four Nations Face-Off roster last season, but he didn't earn it. In all honesty, he probably wasn't even one of the first four or five off. With that said, his potential is what makes people think he has a shot at the Olympics.
On Wednesday, Canada announced their roster for the 2026 Olympic Orientation Camp, which will take place in August. Connor Bedard made the camp.
B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) on XMacklin Celebrini, Connor Bedard, and Quinton Byfield among the newcomers joining Canada's 2026 Olympic orientation camp, which will take place in August 👀
Full roster ⬇️
Bedard joins other young stars like Quinton Byfield of the Los Angeles Kings and Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks as newcomers. A lot of stars that have made Team Canada so great over the years are also going to be there, like Sidney Crosby, Brad Marchand, Connor McDavid, Cale Makar, and Nathan MacKinnon, among others.
Canada will enter the Olympic Games with as good a chance as anyone to win the Gold Medal. When the young players mentioned are bubble guys for the roster, that speaks to the depth of Hockey Canada.
Heading into the latter stages of the NHL off-season, this will be a great experience for Bedard. Learning from some of the game's most prolific stars can be great for development.
Connor Bedard opted to miss the IIHF World Championships earlier in the off-season. That may make him have to work extra hard to catch Hockey Canada's eye, but they won't deny the best chance to win. It's up to Bedard, through his play at the camp and with the Blackhawks, to prove that he can help them.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
Read the full article here