Canada poised for another run at Olympic hockey gold with NHL's return

Connor McDavid remembers intuitive feeling the intensity level.

A venial hockey participant growing up simply north of Toronto, the future NHL superstar and his teammates gathered to watch Canada and the United States battle it out in the 2010 men's Olympic hockey final.

They were on the edge of the couch as events unfolded thousands of kilometres away in Vancouver.

"The nervous energy in the building was coming through the TV," McDavid recalled.

And then, just like much of the country, they all leapt to their feet in an instant when Sidney Crosby took a quick pass from Jarome Iginla and snapped a shot through Ryan Miller's pads for a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory.

"Canada wins gold on home ice," McDavid added. "It doesn't get any better than that."

The hockey powerhouse then ground out a relentless repeat four years later — again with Crosby, this time as captain, leading the charge — but those Games in Sochi, Russia, would be the last involving NHL players for more than a decade.

After skipping 2018 for financial reasons and backing out in 2022 because of COVID-19, the game's best are back for the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Nothing short of another podium-topping performance will do for Canada.

The NHL is set for an Italian return to the Games in February on the heels the last season's spine-tingling 4 Nations Face-Off that saw Canada again top the U.S. In OT on McDavid's dramatic winner.

"You can feel the energy of coming off 4 Nations," Crosby, the 38-year-old captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, said at Canada's summer orientation camp in Calgary. "That was huge, and I think everyone got a taste of international hockey and what the Olympics is going to look like.

McDavid scores OT winner as Canada edges U.S. In 4 Nations Face-Off championship game

"A lot of different emotions, but just excited, motivated and grateful for the opportunity to be at it again."

The 12 countries set to compete will unveil the full rosters this week after months of preparation. Canada will announce its roster Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET.

"The 4 Nations was kind of the appetizer to what the Olympics could be," said McDavid, captain of the Edmonton Oilers. "Really excited about it."

Canada has some interesting decisions down the lineup after already naming McDavid, Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Sam Reinhart and Brayden Point back in June.

Macklin Celebrini, picked No. 1 overall at the 2024 draft by the San Jose Sharks, sat third in NHL scoring behind only McDavid and MacKinnon heading into Monday's action.

It was rare for a 19-year-old to even get a look for Canada at past Games, but the brain trust led by St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong will be hard-pressed to ignore what the centre with offensive flair and an outstanding 200-foot game has done this season.

GM Doug Armstrong on building Canada's Olympic hockey team

A recent upper-body injury to Chicago forward Connor Bedard, meanwhile, might have removed him out of the running, but McDavid has taken notice of both players' push for the Olympic squad.

"They've been great," he said in the fall. "Great to see them take steps. They've been really impressive."

Canada's defence should look the same or very similar to the 4 Nations, but goaltending remains a constant question.

Blues netminder Jordan Binnington probably deserves the first game at the Olympics on Feb. 12 after his 4 Nations heroics, but a crooked stat line this season has opened the door for others to get a look, including Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals and his .917 save percentage and 2.27 goals-against average.

"You've seen guys get off to great starts -- pushing for spots -- all across the league," McDavid said. "It's been fun to watch."

Could Bedard, Celebrini or Schaefer make Canada's Olympic roster?

Discussing and debating rosters, however, has been far from the only Olympic thread.

Construction delays in Milan and rink dimensions that will be slightly smaller than originally agreed to are among thr uncomfortable headlines over the last number of months. But the International Olympic Committee and organizers have said everything is on track for puck drop.

"It is a little different," Canadian and Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, who was also behind the 4 Nations bench, said of the rink size. "Both teams gotta play on it."

The NHL heading back under the international spotlight has McDavid, just like he was almost 16 years ago when Canada took on the U.S. In Vancouver, excited to see what comes next.

"Playing hockey at the absolute highest level," he said before the season. "The hockey at the 4 Nations was the fastest, tightest-checking, most difficult hockey I've ever played and ever been a part of. I can only imagine what it's going to be like at the Olympics, and that next level.

"That's what everybody, ultimately, wants — sport at the highest level. That's what the Olympics is all about and that's what we're looking forward to."

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