Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard Must Be on the Canadian Olympic Team

The NHL's return to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina is an exciting development for hockey fans and the sport as a whole. It means world-class hockey, and the first true full-size, best-on-best men's tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

The 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago was a nice appetizer, but this is the main course, and it is going to be an awesome two weeks of hockey.

This return also means, in at least one way, some frustration for fans, because the brain trusts of these teams tend to overthink their rosters and leave some of their top players at home.

Case in point: any debate for Canada to leave Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard at home instead of playing with Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby in Italy.

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This is a persistent problem in how the United States builds its international teams. It seems determined to send some of its most talented players back to the bench again, as it tries to build a team that can check the puck into the net, only to watch it inevitably lose, scoring only one goal in an elimination game because it lacks enough offense.

Canada also tends to overthink its roster, especially when it comes to emerging stars. And while they can get away with it because of their talent depth, this year should be a huge exception.

Celebrini and Bedard are far from locks on what should be one of the deepest, most talented teams in the tournament on paper.

History suggests they will be left off of Canada's roster entirely.

That would be a tremendous mistake, and a disappointing one for fans.

Entering play on Wednesday, the 19-year-old Celebrini is second in the NHL in scoring with 40 points, behind only Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon.

The 20-year-old Bedard is third with 38 points.

Aside from the numbers, they are both displaying the types of skills and talents that not only made them No. 1 overall picks but also made them franchise cornerstones in their team's ongoing rebuilds.

Celebrini is not just a dynamo offensively. He also has a relentless work ethic along the boards and in dirty areas, and he possesses an extremely advanced defensive game for a player who is still only 19. He does it all in every game.

Bedard is putting up his numbers with no elite talent around him and is turning into a nightly one-man highlight reel for the Blackhawks.

They are not just two of Canada's best players; they are two of the best players in hockey.

Taking them to Italy should be an easy pick. However, Hockey Canada never makes this pick for its Olympic teams and has a staggering recent track record of leaving its young talent at home for these tournaments.

In 2006, an 18-year-old Sidney Crosby was left off of Canada's Olympic roster, even though he finished with 102 points in his rookie season. That point total was second among Canada-born skaters and sixth-best in the entire NHL.

Four years later, at the 2010 Games, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos was only an alternate despite the fact that he scored 51 goals in his second season in the league.

In 2014, the last time NHL players played in the Olympics, Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin were left out even though they were two of Canada's most productive forwards.

Canada still ended up winning gold in two of those three Olympics (2010 and 2014; it failed to medal in 2006), and has a great chance to medal this season, whether it takes Celebrini and Bedard or not.

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But there are two big reasons why it would make sense for Canada to take its two biggest young stars.

The first is that it would simply be fun to watch, and it would be good for hockey to have them there. If the goal is to take your best players and build your best teams, while also creating a must-see tournament, they are easy picks.

The production is there, and the all-around play is there. Granted, goal and point totals are not the only thing that matters in evaluating hockey players. There is obviously more to it than just numbers. But both players' contributions and skills go beyond just the numbers. There is also something to be said for having numbers this dynamic and dominant.

The second is that it would make sense to give both of them Olympic experience and a taste of a true best-on-best tournament, even in a complementary role, to prepare them for future tourneys where they will be taking on significantly larger roles.

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They do not need to be on the first or second line, and they do not need to play primary roles. It also won't hurt them to play in a third- or fourth-line spot in these games. This is not like the NHL where teams have salary-cap restraints and the variables that go into building a roster.

There is no free agency or trades to be made. There is no limitation on the talent you can have on your roster. You don't need to have specialized roles for certain lines. You just need the best players, and you just need to put together four scoring lines that can outplay everybody else.

Bedard and Celebrini are among the best players. There is no good reason to not take them.