{"id":483609,"date":"2026-02-14T07:55:06","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T12:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=483609"},"modified":"2026-02-14T05:07:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T10:07:42","slug":"canada-olympics-news-lineup-changes-big-line-emerges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2026\/02\/14\/canada-olympics-news-lineup-changes-big-line-emerges\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada Lineup Changes, Big Line Emerges at Olympics Men’s Ice Hockey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Canada has started the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics<\/a> on fire. They won the first game 5-0 against Czechia<\/a> and followed it up with a 5-1 victory versus Switzerland<\/a> yesterday. This pushes their current streak to 12-straight victories in Olympics involving NHLers, outscoring their opposition 48-13. Simply incredible. There has been some minor lineup news, that we will get to later. In contrast, there is one storyline really starting to catch fire. Let’s dive in.<\/p>\n

Canada’s Hockey Greatness Coming Together at 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics<\/h2>\n

Rarely in hockey history can all-time greats play together. For fans of Canadian hockey, you have to go back to the 1987 Canada Cup Final. Late, only 1:26 remaining in fact in the deciding game against the U.S.S.R, on a three-man rush with a very gifted offensive-defenceman Larry Murphy<\/a> on the wing, Wayne Gretzky<\/a> had no intentions on passing the puck across. Instead, the Great One fed the puck back to Le Magnifique Mario Lemieux<\/a> who propelled the puck high on goaltender Sergei Mylnikov<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It is a shame as a hockey fan, that was the only best-on-best competition that we were gifted with the magic of Lemieux and Gretzky. It isn’t unlike the recent stretch we had experienced, with no best-on-best competition between 2016’s World Cup of Hockey, until the 2025 4 Nations tournament. One player on this year’s Olympic team who has seen multiple best-on-best tournaments is Sidney Crosby<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Even during Sidney Crosby’s remarkable run of success wearing the Canadian Maple Leaf, he hasn’t found that magical spark with a player around his age, and anywhere near his skill. Maybe you could make an argument for Patrice Bergeron<\/a>. But let’s be honest, as dominant as a two-way player as Bergeron was, he wasn’t at the elite offensive level that Crosby was at, and you could argue, even still isn’t far off today.<\/p>\n

Consider even the 2002 Canadian Olympic team. That was one that had Lemieux on it, but never had such a strong connection of players, in their prime. That roster was loaded with all-time greats, such as Joe Sakic<\/a> or Eric Lindros<\/a>, but many of them would’ve been considered past their prime, or even yet to hit it. Jarome Iginla<\/a> could’ve fit that description of being at his prime, and an elite sniper. Conversely, guys like Simon Gagne<\/a> or Ryan Smyth<\/a> wouldn’t have been considered a Hall to his Oates. (Or hockey’s edition Brett Hull<\/a> and Adam Oates<\/a>).<\/p>\n