Oh! Team Canada: Florida Panthers Reinhart, Marchand In; Bennett Off Olympic Team

The Florida Panthers will have two players on Team Canada at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games after Brad Marchand joined Sam Reinhart on Wednesday.

Last summer, Reinhart was one of the first six players named to Team Canada.

On Wednesday morning, Marchand was named to the team during a long-awaited roster release.

Sam Bennett, who played with Reinhart and Marchand for Team Canada at the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off last February, did not make the cut.

Marchand and Bennett had their share of run-ins during heated games between the Panthers and Bruins, but the two made up and became friends upon joining Canada for the games.

The two ended up not only playing on the same line and winning Gold at the event, but teammates a few weeks later with the Panthers.

Reinhart, Bennett, and Marchand all won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in 2025 and now have long-term contracts with Florida.

Although Reinhart was already named to the team, there was speculation Marchand and Bennett could be left off the Olympic team.

Marchand, with 23 goals and 45 points in 38 games for the Panthers, certainly showed enough this season to join Team Canada.

Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy as NHL postseason MVP last summer and has 13 goals and 29 points in 39 games for the Panthers this season.

That, apparently, was not enough.

This is the first time Reinhart and Marchand will represent Canada at the Olympic games since it is the first time NHL players have participated in the Olympics since Socchi in 2014.

The only current Panthers who played in the 2014 games are Sasha Barkov (Finland) and Sergei Bobrovsky (Russia).

Barkov was named Finland’s captain last summer, but he will miss these games due to injuring his knee during training camp.

Bobrovsky cannot participate due to Russia not being allowed to have a team.

Marchand was part of Team Canada’s Olympic camp in 2014 but did not make the final cut.

He says playing for his home country on this stage is something he has always dreamed of — and worked for.

“It has been stressful,” Marchand said Tuesday evening. “Every day, you are trying to make sure you have something to prove and when you line up against a team, guys you are competing against. You try to out perform them. … You can’t have a day off.

“When you want to accomplish something that bad, especially because it has been so long, you know it’s my last opportunity.

“You think about it a lot.”

The Panthers will be well represented at the Olympics perhaps more than any other team in the NHL.

Matthew Tkachuk has already been named to Team USA and defenseman Seth Jones may just join him when that roster is announced Friday morning on NBC’s Today Show a few hours before the Panthers play in the 2026 NHL Winter Classic in Miami.

Defenseman Uvis Balinskis was named to Latvia’s team.

Gus Forsling almost assuredly play for Sweden; Jesper Boqvist could as well.

Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Niko Mikkola are expected to play for Finland.

The Panthers will also have a number of supporting staff at the games, including GM Bill Zito who is part of Team USA.

Other roles: Teddy Richards (Equipment Manager – USA); Tuomo Ruutu (Assistant Coach – Finland); Myles Fee (Video Coach – Sweden).

ON DECK: GAME No. 40

THE 2026 NHL WINTER CLASSIC

NEW YORK RANGERS at FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Friday; 8 p.m.
• Where: LoanDepot Park, Miami
• National TV: TNT/truTV (US); Sportsnet/TVA (Canada)
• Streaming: HBO Max
• Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 931 or 932, NHL App
• Last Season vs. Rangers: Panthers Won 2-1
• This Season vs. Rangers — At Panthers: Winter Classic; April 13. At Rangers: March 29.
• All-time Regular Season Series: Rangers lead 62-36-8, 6 ties
• Postseason History: Rangers won 4-1 (1997, 1st round); Panthers won 4-2 (2024 ECF)
• Up Next for the Panthers: Sunday vs. Colorado Avalanche, 5 p.m.