Brad Marchand has been a staple of Hockey Canada for the last decade.
The longtime Bruins star was a key cog in Canada’s 2016 World Championship gold medal, their 2017 World Cup gold medal, and most recently their 4 Nations Face-Off victory.
Marchand has also been at the forefront of the hockey world over the last several months, helping lead the Florida Panthers in their pursuit of back-to-back Stanley Cups.
His decorated resume and success when representing his country, along with his resurgent play in these playoffs, have many wondering whether Brad Marchand could once again be among the first six players named to Team Canada’s 2026 Winter Olympic roster.
Despite all of that, TSN hockey insider Chris Johnston still doesn’t think it’s enough for Marchand to be one of the first six selected. First Up shared the clip of his take on X (formerly Twitter).
“I don’t think you’re gonna debate Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, or Cale Makar. And, yeah, I think Point is pretty obvious. Just because they did this for the 4 nations, everything went well at the four nations. Now the sixth player, included last year in that first six, was Brad Marchand, of all people. And I actually believe that he won’t be named today as part of being done, and obviously, what he’s doing in the playoffs is going to help his cause,” Johnston said (16:52).
“But at his age and coming off a season where he did have injuries, you know, I think they’re just gonna want to take the next few months to see what he’s got in his game. He’s very much in the mix for a spot on the roster, but they don’t have to name the team until December 31, and so I think they’ll go with someone younger in the sixth spot,” Johnston added.
Marchand was among the first six chosen for Team Canada’s 4 Nations roster along with Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Brayden Point.
Brad Marchand is firmly in contention for the Conn Smythe Trophy
It’s been remarkable to see how well Brad Marchand has played for the Florida Panthers this postseason. The 37-year-old has racked up 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 22 games, including three game winners and other clutch tallies among them.
His performance has garnered the attention of the oddsmakers, as the FanDuel Sportsbook has Marchand (+440) with the second-shortest odds to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Only Sam Bennett has shorter odds at -165.
Marchand’s main focus, however, is on winning the Stanley Cup in Game 6 against the Oilers on Tuesday night in Florida. The puck drops at 8 p.m. EST at Amerant Bank Arena.
Edited by Jackson Weber
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