Coach Rick Tocchet leaks a key decision about Canada's Olympic roster

Team Canada's Olympic coaching and management staff their work cut out for them.

Paring down the group's 90 man selection roster to a 23 man Olympic roster is no small feat. There are, of course, limited options in goal so that seems to be mostly set. The defense corps shouldn't be too difficult either. The problem, as it always is with Canada, is that there are so many options at the forward positions.

Sidney Crosby will be there. We know that. Ditto for Connor McDavid. To be frank, there are a ton of locks amongst the forward groups. Crosby, McDavid, Nathan Mackinnon, Brad Marchand, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, Brayden Point, Sam Reinhart... we know that these players will be there and will all play major roles for this team at the 2026 Olympics.

But what about further down the depth chart? How does the team view youth? Are youngsters like Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard going to get a fair look over veterans like Bo Horvat and Mark Scheifele?

Today, Team Canada assistant coach Rick Tocchet spilled the beans a bit, admitting that the team is looking very closely at Celebrini and that he's "definitely in the mix."

From Tocchet earlier today:

“We had a meeting a couple weeks ago, and obviously he's (Celebrini) on the list. I mean you give your opinion as an assistant coach, but he's definitely in the mix. I don't know where he's at on the chart, to be honest here, but they're watching. 40 plus points, He's doing something really well.”

Personally, I think you'd have to be crazy to keep Celebrini, and Bedard for that matter, off this team.

Hockey Canada has typically done a good job at including their up and coming players in recent international tournaments and I see no reason to change up that strategy. Both Celebrini and Bedard stand to be fixtures for Hockey Canada for years to come and they're both absolutely tearing up the NHL this season.

You can't really go wrong when you bet on your skilled players. Dress the kids and let them play.