Canada tweaks lineup vs Finland and hands Nathan MacKinnon a new look
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Daniel Lucente
Feb 20, 2026 (10:10)
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Photo credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Nathan MacKinnon gets Bo Horvat and Seth Jarvis today, and it feels like Canada is chasing more bite and more speed at the same time.
Horvat and Jarvis sliding up is a loud vote of confidence, because MacKinnon already drives play like a freight train when the ice tilts.
Nick Suzuki stays in Sidney Crosby’s spot, and that detail matters more than any jersey graphic.
Crosby’s lower-body status has hovered since he left the quarterfinal, so Canada keeps the same replacement plan instead of scrambling.
Sam Bennett draws in, and Sam Reinhart sits as the 13th forward, which screams “matchup hockey” more than “best on paper.”
Here’s the post the lineup came from, so you can see the same setup:
Celebrini-McDavid-Wilson
Horvat-MacKinnon-Jarvis
Marner-Suzuki-Stone
Hagel-Bennett-Marchand
Reinhart
Toews-Makar
Harley-Parayko
Sanheim-Doughty
Theodore
Binnington
Thompson
Out: Crosby, Morrissey, Kuemper
Horvat-MacKinnon-Jarvis
Marner-Suzuki-Stone
Hagel-Bennett-Marchand
Reinhart
Toews-Makar
Harley-Parayko
Sanheim-Doughty
Theodore
Binnington
Thompson
Out: Crosby, Morrissey, Kuemper
Jordan Binnington starts between the pipes again, and the staff is clearly riding the familiar heartbeat.
That probably means Canada wants quick puck movement off saves, not just survival mode in a tight semifinal.
Nathan MacKinnon forces Finland to pick its poison
You can feel the fanbase split right now, half thrilled by the shakeup, half nervous that the blender means something is off.
If Horvat wins draws and gets to the net front, Jarvis can hunt loose pucks and turn broken plays into clean looks.
Bennett in the mix also hints at a heavier forecheck, the kind that makes Finland’s exits messy and late.
On the blue line, Devon Toews stays glued to Cale Makar, and that pair is still Canada’s cleanest first pass.
Thomas Harley beside Colton Parayko gives them a calmer second look, while Travis Sanheim with Drew Doughty keeps the edge and the snarl.
Macklin Celebrini, 19, drafted in 2024 in the first round by the San Jose Sharks, is still on the sheet, and his pace keeps changing games.
If Canada gets an early man advantage, this new mix around MacKinnon could decide the whole night before it ever feels settled.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 20|227 ANSWERS Canada tweaks lineup vs Finland and hands Nathan MacKinnon a new look Should Team Canada keep Bo Horvat with Nathan MacKinnon next game as well? | ||
| Yes | 175 | 77.1 % |
| No | 52 | 22.9 % |
| List of polls | ||