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Sam Bennett, a forward for the Florida Panthers, has been selected for Canada’s national men’s ice hockey roster for the Milan Cortina Olympic Games, substituting for the injured Tampa Bay Lightning center, Anthony Cirelli.
This alteration was disclosed on Tuesday by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Cirelli sustained an injury on Sunday during the Lightning’s 6-5 shootout victory against Boston in an outdoor match held in Tampa, Florida, following a collision with Bruins forward Mark Kastelic. Prior to his injury, Cirelli had recorded 15 goals and 20 assists over 49 appearances for the Lighting, maintaining a strong defensive rating of plus-30.
During his 49 appearances for the Lightning, Cirelli amassed 15 goals and 20 assists, demonstrating a robust defensive performance with a plus-30 rating.
Bennett, who claimed the Stanley Cup twice and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the 2025 playoffs, represented Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off international competition last year.
This current season, he has contributed 19 goals and 23 assists across 55 matches.
Bennett, aged 29 and hailing from Holland Landing, Ontario, was regarded as a leading candidate among forwards for an injury substitution. Other notable forwards not selected for the Olympic squad include Mark Scheifele from the Winnipeg Jets, Zach Hyman of the Edmonton Oilers, and Connor Bedard from Chicago.
The participation of Brayden Point, another Lightning forward and one of the initial six individuals chosen for Canada’s team, remains uncertain as the Games approach. Point has been sidelined since incurring an injury on January 12th in a game versus Philadelphia, yet he has recommenced on-ice training with his teammates.
Nineteen-year-old Macklin Celebrini will join Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon on the Canadian men’s Olympic hockey team, as NHLers return to the Winter Games for the first time in more than a decade.
Recognized as a premier provocateur in the NHL, Bennett has also demonstrated consistent productivity during crucial junctures. Out of his league-leading 15 goals during the 2025 playoffs, five were tallied during Florida’s six-game triumph against Edmonton in the Stanley Cup final series.
Furthermore, he registered seven goals and seven assists during the 2024 playoffs, culminating in the Panthers’ seven-game championship victory against the Oilers.
He notched a goal in the championship match of the 4 Nations Face-Off — marking the inaugural international competition showcasing NHL athletes since the 2014 Sochi Olympics — where Canada secured a 3-2 overtime win against the United States.
Canada is scheduled to compete in its inaugural match of the 2026 Olympic tournament on February 12th, facing Czechia in Milan.
