Team Canada announced the first six players on their preliminary roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday. While Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson was not among the picks, the rugged winger remains in contention to dress for his nation at next year’s games being held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
After the players were announced, Canada’s general manager, Doug Armstrong, spoke with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun about the rationale behind his first six selections. He admitted that the rough 4 Nations Face-Off Canada-USA game, which featured three fights in the first nine seconds, would not impact how he constructs his roster, but that still does not rule Wilson out completely.
“Quite honestly, the way Tom played last season, he’s in that group of strong consideration just for his overall play,” Armstrong told LeBrun. “We just went through the easy part, the first six. Now it gets interesting.”
Wilson has never played for Canada’s senior national team. He has only donned his nation’s colors at the junior level, playing in the World U17 Hockey Challenge and Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in 2011 and the Canada-Russia Challenge in 2012.
The Toronto native is coming off a career-best year offensively, recording 65 points (33g, 32a) in 81 games for the top-seeded Capitals. Wilson was disappointed not to be on Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster and had to watch his fellow countrymen win the tournament from his couch at home.
“As a competitor, you want to be out there competing with your country,” Wilson said last month. “You always want to put that jersey on and go out there best-on-best. If it happens in the future, I’ll be stoked. Obviously, it was great for the game of hockey. Everybody saw what a savage sport it is. Great skill, speed, and toughness on display. It was awesome.”
The first six players Armstrong went with include Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart, and Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point.
Notably, Armstrong did not opt to name a goalie among those first picks, despite Jordan Binnington backstopping Canada to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship, and Armstrong also serving as the general manager of the St. Louis Blues. The competition in net appears set to continue into next season, and Capitals number-one goalie Logan Thompson is expected to be one of the primary contenders.
“[Binnington is] certainly the leader in the (goalie) clubhouse, there’s no question about that, with his play,” Armstrong said. “But you look at different players now — the two guys that joined him at 4 Nations (Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault), and quite honestly you have (Logan) Thompson, you have (Darcy) Kuemper, you have (MacKenzie) Blackwood, you have (Stuart) Skinner, that’s just four off the top of my head — they’re all quality goaltenders who are going to push.”
Thompson went 31-6-6 in his first season with the Capitals, posting a 2.49 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. He was also excellent in the club’s playoff run, still ranked second among all postseason starters in MoneyPuck’s goals saved above expected (9.4) despite being eliminated with the Caps in the second round.
The 28-year-old backstop finished fourth in voting for the 2025 Vezina Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s best goaltender.
Thompson’s lone prior experience representing Canada at the senior level came in a four-game stint at the 2022 World Championship, winning a silver medal. His snub from the 4 Nations Face-Off roster was thought to be due to his frosty relationship with former Vegas Golden Knights coaches on head coach Jon Cooper’s staff.
