Team Canada has officially announced its 25-man men’s hockey roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, and NHL fans were quick to weigh in. Connor McDavidSidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon have drawn criticism online.

Key points of contention include the decision to include Anthony Cirelli and Brayden Point instead of top prospects like Connor Bedard.

Here are some fan reactions from X:

“Cirelli and Point over Bedard are fun”

@TheFourthPeriod Cirelli and Point over Bedard are fun

@TheFourthPeriod Cirelli is crazy about Scheifele

The omission of Sam Bennett also sparked backlash.

“Sam Bennett is not crazy. Team Canada is too weak,” one fan wrote.

@TheFourthPeriod Sam Bennett is not crazy. Soft ass Team Canada.

@TheFourthPeriod Without the reigning Stanley Cup MVP, Bennett is a good option, or phenomenal sharpshooter Bedard

@TheFourthPeriod Unlucky not to have Bennett; scoring and grit

@TheFourthPeriod Where is Bennett! One of the best players in the game. 😡

Defensive and goalkeeping choices haven’t escaped scrutiny either.

“Travis Sanheim replacing Evan Bouchard and Jordan Binnington replacing Scott Wedgewood were some dumb choices, that’s for sure,” one user posted.

@TheFourthPeriod Travis Sanheim vs. Evan Bouchard and Jordan Binnington vs. Scott Wedgewood were some dumb choices, that’s for sure

@TheFourthPeriod Anyone who builds a team and builds a team must choose Cirelli Horvat Hagel suzuki & one of Schiffele who would you choose? Would you choose any 4 of them over Siffele? Seriously? Well, you definitely choose Suzuki. Of course you choose Cirelli. But you’re left with a top-line center who outsizes Hagel and Cirelli. Horvath? oops

Despite criticism, the roster boasts a combination of veteran leadership and top NHL talent, with forwards including Sidney CrosbyConnor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Brad Marchand, Mitch Marner, Bo Horvat, Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli, Brayden Pointer, Sam Reinhart, Nick Suzuki, Mark Stone, Tom Wilson and rising star McLean Celebrini.

The defensive unit includes Drew Doughty, Cal Makar, Colton Pareko, Josh Morrissey, Travis Sanheim, Shea Theodore, Devin Toews and Thomas Harley, while Jordan Binnington, Darcy Kuemper and Logan Thompson will anchor the defensive line.

The Canadian roster marks the first time NHL players have returned to the Olympics since 2014.

Nick Suzuki earns recognition on Canada’s Olympic Dream Team

montreal canadiens star Nick Suzuki He has been officially selected for Team Canada’s 2026 Olympic roster, fulfilling his long-held dream of representing the country at the Winter Olympics.

Earlier this week, Suzuki spoke about the intense process of securing a spot.

“I’ve been nervous and definitely a little anxious,” he admits. “When you don’t have your best game, you feel like you might have fallen away from the team. When you have a good game, you feel like you did something good for the team.”

Looking back on his recent performance, Suzuki added:

“Coming out of the Four Nations break, I felt like I played some really good hockey. I was just trying to prove that I could do whatever they asked me to do.”

Suzuki’s international experience includes winning a gold medal with Team Canada White at the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, as well as competing in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup and the 2019 World Junior Championship.