Blackhawks News
Connor Bedard Still Behind Macklin Celebrini in Battle For Team Canada’s Olympic Roster
Chicago Blackhawks star center Connor Bedard is off to a sensational start to his third NHL season.
Through 16 games, Bedard, still only 20 years old, currently sits in a tie for second in the NHL with 25 points. He’s in the midst of an eight-game point streak, with seven goals and 11 assists — all primary helpers — for 18 points during that stretch. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick has tied Patrick Kane for the fewest games in Blackhawks history for a player age 20 or younger to reach 25 points. Not to mention Bedard has also led the Blackhawks to an 8-5-3 record, which is their best start to a season since the 2016-17 campaign.
Yet, it all doesn’t appear to be enough at this point for Bedard to have cracked Team Canada’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
The Athletic’s Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun broke down the latest they’re hearing around Canada’s ongoing Olympic roster battles on Monday, and Bedard still seems to be on the outside looking in.
Canada’s Projected Forward Group
Team Canada’s general manager, Doug Armstrong, is expected to take 14 forwards to Italy in February, and five have already been named to the team. Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Brayden Point, and Sam Reinhart were announced as part of the roster back in June. That leaves nine spots available up front for the Canadians.
Mitch Marner, Sam Bennett, Brandon Hagel, and Brad Marchand, all part of Canada’s gold-medal group at the 4Nations Face-Off, figure to have locked up their spots, too. Mark Stone, currently out for the Vegas Golden Knights with a wrist injury, left a strong impression at the 4Nations and should be on the team if healthy. Down to only four open slots.
Seth Jarvis, Anthony Cirelli, and Travis Konecny also played for Canada at the 4Nations in February, but their Olympic spots don’t seem as solidified. However, Jarvis is off to a strong start to his season for the Carolina Hurricanes, and Cirelli plays under Canada’s head coach, Jon Cooper, with the Tampa Bay Lightning. It’s unlikely that either player gets left off the squad.
There are anywhere from two to five spots available in Canada’s forward group, depending on what transpires before the final rosters must be announced in early January 2026.
Bedard Behind Celebrini
According to Johnston and LeBrun, the bubble forwards who have improved their stocks the most since being left off the 4Nations roster are Nick Suzuki, Mark Scheifele, Macklin Celebrini, and Tom Wilson. Despite everything he’s accomplished early this season, Bedard is listed in a tier behind those four players.
Bedard is grouped with Wyatt Johnston and Robert Thomas as the next three contenders to make Canada’s Olympic roster. Even though he’s played remarkably well since last February, there are questions about whether Armstrong and Cooper want to bring two youngsters to Italy, and Celebrini currently has the leg up over Bedard.
It feels like a ‘one or the other’ situation, and in terms of roster fit, Canada appears to prefer Celebrini’s style of play down in their lineup. Celebrini also played for the Canadians this past summer at the World Championship, where he recorded six points (3G, 3A) in eight games and turned heads as an 18-year-old. The 2024 top overall draft choice has carried that momentum over into the start of this season, where he’s right behind Bedard with 24 points (10G, 14A) in 16 games.
According to Johnston and LeBrun, it’s going to be extremely difficult for Canada to leave Celebrini in San Jose for the Olympics.
What More Must Bedard Do?
While Celebrini is and will likely always be known as the superior defensive player between the two up-and-coming superstars, Bedard has made notable strides of his own with his two-way play this season. He’s no longer limited to only contributing on the offensive side of the game, like he was in his first two years in the NHL.
In addition to his offensive uptick, Bedard has been far more responsible defensively for the Blackhawks through 16 games. He’s been involved more in the forecheck and has used an active stick to break up numerous opposing rushes and passes. A perfect example recently was the highlight-reel goal he scored against Calgary on Friday, turning defense into offense for one of the best moments of his young career.
Bedard has also shown tremendous growth at the faceoff circle, where he’s up to 46.7 percent so far in his junior season. While that’s still well below the 50-percent plateau, it’s a massive improvement after being under 39 percent in each of his first two NHL campaigns.
Then, there’s also how Bedard has handled himself on the ice, as he’s already proved that he’s no longer going to “take any s**t” (his words, not mine) and won’t back down from anyone. While he’s smaller than most of his competition, he’s not afraid to stick up for himself or his teammates in scrums and skirmishes. With Canada reportedly bracing for a “grown-ups game” in Milan, Bedard’s feistier play this season should encourage their staff and management.
Ultimately, because of the Canadians’ depth and the limited number of spots available, it’s still going to be an uphill battle for Bedard to make the Olympic roster. He’s improved in every aspect of his game this season, but Canada is in a tough position.
With so many players expected to return after winning the 4Nations, some difficult conversations will surely occur — that’s just the reality with only 14 forwards able to make the trip overseas. It’s not just Bedard who’s seemingly an outsider despite playing the part.
Truthfully, there isn’t much more that Bedard can do to end up playing in Milan in February. While 16 games isn’t the greatest sample size, he’s shown he’s becoming the generational player he was expected to be when entering the league. All he can do now is keep playing to his best every night, and then see where the chips fall in early January when decision time arrives for Canada.
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