As we pass the six-month mark since Canada and the U.S. went toe-to-toe for Olympic men’s hockey gold in Milan, we’re taking stock of the international hockey landscape and the future trajectory of both nations' programs.
Last week, we looked at the half-decade of draft classes that saw the U.S. make up ground on Canada, stockpiling young talent en route to the Americans’ victorious run in Italy. What became abundantly clear in comparing the two Olympic rosters was the change coming for the red-and-white, with a majority of our 2026 squad’s best already headed toward the twilight of their careers.
With all that turnover coming ahead of the next best-on-best tournament — the 2028 World Cup of Hockey — who’s next up for Canada?
Key leaders from that ’26 squad are sure to remain in the fray, of course — Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Mitch Marner will be in their early 30s, likely still producing at an elite level. Younger mainstays like Nick Suzuki, Cale Makar and Thomas Harley will be in their prime. But there will be a host of new names set to take pivotal roles for the national team over the next two tournaments.
With that in mind, to get a sense of who figures to get the call, we took a look at who might crack an under-25 Team Canada squad today:
Forwards
There’s no question who reigns as the leader of Canada’s next generation. At just 20 years old, Macklin Celebrini has already established himself among the game’s very best. The 2024 first-overall pick’s sterling sophomore season saw him rack up 45 goals and 115 points in San Jose, with the centreman finishing fourth in Hart Trophy voting for his efforts. He’s already worn the ‘C’ for his country, already played a key role on the Olympic stage, and the Sharks talisman figures to only grow in his importance to the national program from here on out.
Beyond No. 71, there’s a handful of other no-doubters who would seem to slot in as locks, too. In Dallas, 23-year-old Wyatt Johnston has similarly established himself among the league’s elite — particularly after a career-best campaign that saw him put up 45 goals (fourth-most league-wide) and 86 points for the Stars. His former running mate, 23-year-old Logan Stankoven, is fresh off a Stanley Cup run with Carolina that saw him lead the Canes in goal-scoring. Teammate Seth Jarvis, 24, also played an essential role in that championship run and already has Olympic experience under his belt as well.
Out west, Connor Bedard, at 21, remains one of Canada’s most promising young talents, and took a step last season with 30 goals and 75 points in 69 games before injuries cut his season short. Dylan Guenther, 23, might be one of the most underrated snipers in the game after potting 40 goals (sixth-most among all Canadians in the NHL) and 73 points for Utah last season.
A pair of more recent big-league draftees would demand inclusion too, as 20-year-old Beckett Sennecke and 21-year-old Adam Fantilli have each made their potential known in the early going of their careers — among under-25 Canadians in the big leagues, both Sennecke and Fantilli finished top 10 in scoring in 2025-26, with 60 and 59 points, respectively.
Those eight players would seem to comprise the undeniables for a Canadian under-25 squad. Complementing that group, a pair of young stars with still-untapped potential and experience under their belts seem worthy additions. Quinton Byfield, 24, is still discovering the depths of his prolific talent, but has proven a useful scorer in Los Angeles. Twenty-four-year-old Alexis Lafreniere, drafted one spot before Byfield in 2020, has been on a similar path in New York. Among under-25 Canadian goal-scorers in 2025-26, Byfield and Lafreniere sat tied for seventh with 24 goals apiece.
Rounding out the group, the squad could benefit from some quality depth scorers with experience, like 24-year-olds Dylan Holloway and Dawson Mercer — each of whom has multiple 20-goal campaigns under their belt — and from the addition of two of the nation's brightest young on-the-rise talents in Porter Martone (19) and Gavin McKenna (18).
Quinton Byfield (24) — Macklin Celebrini (20) — Dylan Guenther (23)
Alexis Lafreniere (24) — Wyatt Johnston (23) — Logan Stankoven (23)
Dylan Holloway (24) — Connor Bedard (21) — Seth Jarvis (24)
Dawson Mercer (24) — Adam Fantilli (21) — Beckett Sennecke (20)
Extras: Porter Martone (19), Gavin McKenna (18)
Defence
Take one glance at the 2026 Olympic roster, and it’s clear Canada’s blue line, more than any other area of the squad, is headed for change. Six of the eight defenders on that '26 roster will be in their mid-to-late 30s by the time the next tournament rolls around, meaning new faces will be vital.
Fortunately for Canada, the country already has a blue-chip back-end leader in waiting: Matthew Schaefer.
The 18-year-old made waves during his breakout rookie campaign for the New York Islanders in 2025-26, collecting 23 goals and 59 points from the blue line. The showing earned the teenager a Calder Trophy and some Norris and Hart votes, too. After nearly cracking the 2026 Olympic squad as a teenager, he seems a lock for the roster moving forward.
Beyond Schaefer, it seems murkier. Jamie Drysdale (24) has earned a spot, having established himself as a key piece in Philadelphia after a half-decade in the big leagues. Owen Power (23) and Brandt Clarke (23) have shown flashes of all-world talent in Buffalo and Los Angeles. Both took a step last season — the former logged more than 21 minutes per night for the Sabres in 2025-26, while the latter came up with a career-best 40-point effort for the Kings — and still have higher levels to find.
Twenty-two-year-olds Olen Zellweger and Denton Mateychuk are earlier in that same potential-reaching journey, and both have won gold in a Team Canada sweater. Twenty-year-old wunderkind Zayne Parekh — fresh off breaking the record for the most points collected by a Canadian blue-liner at the world juniors — is worth an add given his sky-high skill and potential. And young New York Rangers veteran Braden Schneider (24) seems a worthy depth option to fill out the group.
Matthew Schaefer (18) — Jamie Drysdale (24)
Owen Power (23) — Brandt Clarke (23)
Olen Zellweger (22) — Denton Mateychuk (22)
Extras: Zayne Parekh (20), Braden Schneider (24)
Goaltenders
If there’s one area in which the difference between the future of the Canadian and American programs seems most stark, it’s in the cage, where the U.S. has seen a number of on-the-rise netminders make their names in the NHL of late.
Even among the veterans, Canada found itself without a clear-cut, undeniable No. 1 option heading into the 2026 Olympic Games, and the next generation of goaltenders for the red-and-white faces a similar situation.
Sebastian Cossa (23) seems a worthwhile choice to lead the group — the 2021 No. 15 pick has been building in the AHL, and will now get his shot as a big-league backup in Utah next season. Devon Levi (24) has similarly spent the past few seasons finding his game between the NHL and the minors, and will join Edmonton’s crew in the cage next season.
And young Jack Ivankovic (19), a 2025 Nashville Predators draft pick who looked excellent for the University of Michigan last season, seems a quality option to round out the trio.
Sebastian Cossa (23)
Devon Levi (24)
Extra: Jack Ivankovic (19)
All told, there’s no doubt talent waiting in the wings for Canada. Looking down the line, there will be questions about blue-line depth and clear-cut options in net, but as has long been the case, the red-and-white have a plethora of elite offensive talents ready to jump into the fray up front.
