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Lightning bias shines through in Team Canada’s unsurprisingly predictable roster
Team Canada Anthony Cirelli
Photo credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Michael Menzies
Dec 31, 2025, 14:00 ESTUpdated: Dec 31, 2025, 13:58 EST
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Hockey fans hoping Team Canada would be young and exciting, Edmonton Oilers-laden, or that management would set aside their biases for Tampa Bay Lightning players were surely disappointed by Wednesday’s roster announcement.
The official roster can be seen here, as the team is now official, though changes may occur based on injuries. 
General manager Doug Armstrong, as well as head coach Jon Cooper, disappointed those who wanted to see talent like Connor Bedard or Matthew Schaefer to crack the lineup. 
From an Oilers perspective, I think Zach Hyman’s exclusion hurts, not only as a Connor McDavid whisperer, but also his usefulness up and down a lineup, and his ability to play hard and clean. 
Evan Bouchard can make a compelling case to be on the team, since he moves pucks extremely well. No defenceman on the roster has played in as many high-pressure games in the past two calendar years than him. 
For every big gaffe Bouchard makes, he makes at minimum 10 positive plays. Moving pucks on the breakout crisply with the ability to make a play, plus his penchant for points in the post-season, made me think he had an outside shot, although I believe Jakob Chychrun can make a stronger case based on his play this season. 
Despite being Edmonton’s most beloved player, there are just too many other guys before Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to include him. 
A winning team from the 4-Nations Face-Off had five changes, with Seth Jarvis, Travis Konency, Adin Hill, and Sam Montembeault not returning, plus the additional 14th forward teams that can take to Milan-Cortina. 
Would these Oilers have had a better chance if they won a cup the past two seasons? I believe so. 

Lightning clout

However, these Tampa Bay Lightning players walk on water. Is this roster seen as the 2002 Detroit Red Wings? 
There are three Lightning players who made the team: Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel, and Anthony Cirelli. 
In the eyes of Hockey Canada, Lightning forwards are given unending clout, namely Cirelli, who I wouldn’t have chosen over Bedard, or Hyman, or Sam Bennett.  
Cirelli is a fine player. He has 22 points in 34 games this year. He’s coming off of a career high 59 points last year. He’s useful as a two-way guy, and can play a ton of different situations — like I said, he’s a fine player. 
But Team Canada? With the choices available? C’mon now. 
We know the reason why with Lightning coach Jon Cooper’s input, but man oh man, there are several players playing much better that Canada can choose this season ahead of Cirelli. 
But let’s take the total view of not just this season: a calendar year, or even two calendar years. 
Well Sam Bennett just won the Conn Smythe and he’s got 29 points this season, on pace for his best regular season. Cirelli’s team can’t get out of the first round. Bennett scored in the Four Nations final. 
Connor Bedard was on a wicked tear before his injury. Zach Hyman is rolling right now after his injury. Heck, Mark Scheifele is seen as chopped liver. 
Anthony Cirelli? Is there any chance Cirelli makes this team if Cooper isn’t the coach? 
Brayden Point was an automatic bid from this summer’s announcement. For his sake, it’s a good thing, because he’s scored even fewer points than Cirelli, and he’s a guy who’s supposed to score after producing 82, 90, and 95 points his last three seasons. 
If forced to pick players this summer, I would’ve had Point on the team, so I’m not going to play revisionist history with his selection. But his six goals look suspect on this roster. 
These Lightning players walk on water. 

There’s always bias

As always, when picking a team like this, armchair GMs are going to have their say. No roster will satisfy everyone, and there is going to be some biases, whether it’s your own franchise’s players or within the skills and styles you value for the greatest hockey tournament in close to a decade. 
However, it would be a pleasant surprise if Team Canada’s biases weren’t so obvious.
We dare to dream on that front. 

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