‘It’s been this part of me that’s missing’: McDavid on representing Canada at Olympics for first time

Connor McDavid will represent Canada at the Olympic level alongside superstars like Sidney Crosby. CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson reports.

Connor McDavid says representing Canada on the men’s hockey team in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy is both an honour and a dream come true.

“Representing Canada means everything to me. With not being able to play at the Olympics until this season, it’s been this part of me that’s been missing. Some of my favorite hockey memories ever are with a Canada jersey on. Or even just watching as a fan,” he admitted in an essay published on Monday in The Players’ Tribune.

The Edmonton Oilers captain and National Hockey League star partly attributed this realization to beating the U.S. in the 4 Nations Face-Off in Boston last year.

Recalling sitting in the locker room before overtime started with teammates like Sidney Crosby, McDavid said, “Maybe it was the red Canada jerseys. But you just looked at those guys and remembered, ‘Man, I grew up a fan of you. I watched you on Saturday nights. This is such an honor.’”

“In that moment, with everything on the line, I think we all remembered what it was to be a hockey fan. To be a Team Canada fan. To be Canadian.”

And an honour it will be again, McDavid says, to play alongside Canada’s best in Italy.

He also wrote about the pressure of becoming Oilers captain at 19 years old while still living with his parents, trying to enjoy his bachelor trip after losing the Stanley Cup in 2024, public scrutiny of his character as a “hockey robot” and the Oilers as an “unlucky, troubled team,” and his enduring passion for the sport.

Canada is grouped with Czechia, Switzerland and France for the games, which start Feb. 11. Canada’s first game is on Feb. 12 against Czechia.

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