The Case for Zach Hyman to make Team Canada

Canada’s roster for the 2026 Olympics in Milan will be revealed in just a few days on Dec. 31st. Connor McDavid was already named as one of the first six players on the roster back in June, but today I want to talk about another Oiler who is a dark horse to make the team.

With the embarrassment of talent that Canada’s management has to choose from, players like Zach Hyman may be an afterthought to some, but he isn’t to me. While it’s probably a long shot that we see Hyman in Milan this February, I believe he presents a compelling case. Let’s break it down.

Chemistry with McDavid

The Olympic hockey tournament is short, and there isn’t much time to practice as a team, so finding chemistry quickly will be paramount. There are no two Canadian forwards with a better track record together than McDavid and Hyman.

Since 2022-23, they’ve outscored the opposition 196-117 in their 5-on-5 minutes together and have roughly 62 percent of the expected goals. That’s historic levels of domination. Interestingly, both of them have been outscored in their minutes apart from one another.

While McDavid played fine at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Jon Cooper never settled on a line for him, cycling through different winger combinations throughout the tournament. If he wants to make his life a whole lot easier, he has a player available who he knows can deliver........

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