With roughly six months remaining before the 2026 Winter Olympics, Hockey Canada announced on Friday the invitations extended to 42 NHL players for its National Teams Orientation Camp scheduled later this month. This important step is part of selecting the final roster for the Games set to take place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Notably, Capitals forward Tom Wilson received an invitation despite being excluded from Canada’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February.
Tom Wilson Emerges as a Leading Candidate for the Olympic Team
Tom Wilson had a standout 2024-25 season with the Washington Capitals, finishing second on his team with 33 goals, trailing only Alex Ovechkin, who recorded 44. Wilson’s 65 points, comprising 33 goals and 32 assists in 81 games, marked career highs across goals, assists, and overall points. Known for his physical style of play, Wilson maintained a significant impact on the ice while achieving these offensive milestones. Reflecting on the Olympic opportunity, Wilson shared with NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger,
“Obviously, it’s a dream your whole life to be mentioned in that type of realm of the guys with that type of pedigree,”
he said.
“There’s a lot of really good superstar names, and just to be even in the mix is a huge privilege. I’m just going to try and play as well as I can up until the final team is announced and put my name in the hat.”
—Tom Wilson, Capitals forward
Prominent Players Already Secure on Canada’s Initial Olympic Roster
From the camp invitees, Hockey Canada must trim its list to 25 players for the final Olympic team, comprising 22 skaters and three goaltenders. Some of the biggest names already confirmed include Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Connor McDavid, Brayden Point, and Sam Reinhart, who were announced as the initial selections back in June.
Logan Thompson Overlooked for Orientation Camp Invitation
Among the notable absences from the orientation camp is goaltender Logan Thompson. Despite his breakthrough season after joining the Capitals—a team he arrived at via trade last summer—Hockey Canada chose to continue with the goaltending trio of Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill (Thompson’s former teammate in Vegas), and Sam Montembeault, the same group that played for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Thompson was initially expected to serve as backup behind Charlie Lindgren but evolved into Washington’s primary starter. His outstanding performance earned him fourth place in the Vezina Trophy voting. According to MoneyPuck analytics, Thompson ranked third in the NHL with 26.0 goals saved above expectation and was among the top 10 league leaders in save percentage (.910, 10th) and goals-against average (2.49, ninth).
Thompson Reacts to Olympic Snub and Lack of Contact from Hockey Canada
After being left off Canada’s 4 Nations roster previously, Thompson revealed that Hockey Canada had not reached out to him during their selection process. He took the omission without bitterness, stating,
“They never reached out to me, and that didn’t upset me,”
he noted.
“It didn’t surprise me when I was left off the team.”
—Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals goaltender
Speculations on Thompson’s Exclusion Due to Coaching Connections
Former NHL goaltender and analyst Steve Valiquette suggested that Thompson’s relations with former Vegas Golden Knights head coaches Bruce Cassidy and Peter DeBoer influenced his exclusion. Both coaches, who had a reportedly difficult experience with Thompson during his time in Vegas, will serve as assistant coaches for Team Canada in Milan.
“They didn’t have a great experience with him in Vegas,”
Valiquette explained.
“There were times that they wanted him to play, and he wasn’t available. Yeah, I know a little bit about what happened there, and I can’t get into it, but that was never going to happen.”
—Steve Valiquette, former NHL goaltender and analyst
Implications for Canada’s 2026 Olympic Hockey Prospects
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics will take place from February 4 to 22, marking the first time since 2014 that NHL players will compete in the Games. While Logan Thompson’s exclusion leaves some questions about Canada’s goaltending depth, the Capitals have secured representation through defenseman Martin Fehervary, who Slovakia named as part of its preliminary Olympic roster.
As the orientation camp draws near, the final selection process will continue to generate discussion around player choices and team composition for Canada’s pursuit of Olympic gold in men’s ice hockey at the 2026 Games.